Son of the Fox
by AngelaMay234
Summary: "No matter how bright a place is, there's always a dark alley to get dragged into."
1. Chapter 1

He smoothed a slow hand over the paper, enjoying the texture of the expensive stationary against his finger pads. Piercing dark eyes darted from the blank sheet, to the onyx-plated pen gripped loosely in his other hand, to the monogrammed silver cufflink at his wrist, before scanning the five words printed in small, elegant black script across the top of the cream-colored page.

 _-From the desk of B.C.E_

Those three simple letters were the most anybody knew of him, he'd seen to it himself. It was too risky to make anything else public, not that he ever would have in the first place. The imbeciles who worked for him could barely manage to polish his silverware. He forced his focus back on the paper, hurriedly scratching out one of his few coherent thoughts before it slipped away.

 _'_ _Aside from a few hiccups, things are going just as I had expected. The experiments are proceeding as planned, and my agents are completely ignorant of the deeper truth. It hopefully won't be much longer until I finally find what I've been looking for. I'll admit to not being entirely sure what that is, however, or why I'm feeling so pushed to search for it, but I'm sure I'll recognize it when I see it. If, indeed, it's something that actually can_ _be seen._

 _But whether it can or not doesn't change my goals. I'm going to turn this sad little world on its head, just like it did to me all those years ago, and I'm not going to let anything stop me. No matter what happens, I will not allow myself to fail again. This will be my last chance.'_

He let the pen clatter to his massive oaken desk, turning to stare at the picture, framed in pure silver, gracing the gilt corner. A beautiful young painted dog with brilliant blue eyes, her slim arms wrapped so lovingly around her heavy stomach. It was the last photo he'd taken of her, before she'd been so cruelly torn from him. Soon, the experiments would give him everything he needed to get her back, and it would be like they had never been apart. He would make sure of that.

 _I'll see you soon, sweetheart, I promise._ He smiled sadly, running his fingers lightly over the polished glass that protected her. _Please, wait for me!_

* * *

 _Suffice it to say this is going to be yet another AU fic, I just find them so much easier to write than canon-compliant ones._


	2. Chapter 2

He should've known things would end up going wrong. The job had gone far too easily at the start, his intended target agreeing to meet in that clearing with no questions asked; the old goat hadn't even asked his name! The mammals that had rushed from the woods shouldn't have surprised him like that, but it still hadn't stopped him from making short work of them. He smirked, imagining how the cops wouldn't be able to make sense of the scene: the wannabe bodyguards lying beat and unconscious in pools of their own teeth and blood. The old bastard lying in his own corner of the clearing, a star-tipped round lodged deep in his brain. That had been the best part, getting to glare into those terrified eyes as he'd pulled the trigger, one more greedy, selfish life ended with an inch of lead.

He glanced up when the moon cleared the clouds, a white sliver in a starless black sky. He groaned in pain, the throb of cracked ribs starting to push past fading adrenaline. He revved the bike's engine, the powerful machine growling loudly in response, echoing behind as he sped down the empty street. The fact he'd managed to slash his hand on a branch during the fight wasn't doing anything to help his mood.

 _They better not short me this time,_ he slowed as the meeting place came into view: squat, derelict building that had been abandoned for decades, if not a century. Coming to a stop in the overgrown ruins of the tiny parking lot, shaking his hand to try and ease the sting the burn across his knuckles. The old bandana he'd tied around the wound was already damp with sweat and blood. Pulling the small flashlight from his pocket, since it couldn't be tracked like a cell, he flicked it on and looked around, his open jacket starting to flutter in the growing breeze.

The faded red paint was cracked and flaking, patches worn right to the siding, shards of scattered window glass glinting when the narrow light beam hit them. The door had fallen off its rust-eaten hinges, lying cracked in two at his feet. He ducked under the broken cobwebs clogging the frame, tugged up his hood when he saw they were even worse inside. The striped wallpaper was rotted and peeling, shredded by claws, the walls themselves layered with a dirty rainbow of graffiti, chunks of crumbling plaster scattered across the cracked and pocked wooden floor. Dust filtered into the stale air with each step, disturbing the tracks that already streaked and dotted it, making him grateful for the half mask they made him wear to help hide his face. He dodged a broken bulb swinging in the breeze on a stripped wire, the crunch of glass beneath his rough foot wraps abnormally loud in the silent, dismal place.

 _It's actually starting to creep me out,_ he admitted silently, swiping at his tearing eyes with his sleeve. The visor on his helmet had broken off, so he'd been stuck with the cold autumn wind and dirt from the road blowing into them.

"You took your sweet time," a deep, harsh voice said behind him. He knew the heavy accent well, though the words were still hard to understand. He turned toward the chilling tone, thankful that, at least, no longer got to him. He glared at the mammal dressed in black in the corner, hating the smug, mocking smile in their eyes, the only part of them he could see.

"He brought friends," he answered flatly, shrugging carelessly. "I took care of them, though."

The other mammal chuckled.

"As you always do, don't you?" he reached in the bag at his side and took out one of several large yellow envelopes, no doubt payment for the others.

"Your money's in there," he tossed it, a cloud of dust rising when it landed at his feet. "And some info about your new job, I think you'll like this one."

He chuckled again, then turned and slipped through another doorway, the door itself hanging crookedly by one broken hinge. The younger male waited until he was sure the 'messenger' was gone before snatching his prize off the floor, then headed out. He didn't let his guard down, even as he pushed off his hood to tug on his helmet.

 _Freak…_

The wind had picked up, as he woke his bike and sped away, not wanting to linger there any longer than he had to. He'd barely kept his head attached last time. The moon was already starting to set when he got home, stowing his bike in the garage before cutting straight to his room. He dropped on his bed, sighing in relief at the feel of it before turning his head toward the packet, groaning softly in annoyance in he sat back up to grab it from his nightstand. He knew he'd never get to sleep if he didn't open it now. Snatching the knife from his belt, he sliced it open, making sure the money matched his price before focusing on the papers folded at the bottom. His eyes narrowed when he saw the note written across the first page.

 _'This job is going to be different, you've been assigned to protect this girl, not to kill her.'_

Hr groaned again; he was a field agent, not a bodyguard. He scanned the info quickly, noting her yellow belt in karate; maybe this wouldn't be quite as boring as he'd thought. Several photos were paper-clipped to the last page: a gray-furred rabbit doe standing with an older buck, likely a brother, in front of a coffee shop. She was older in the second, slightly crouched as she got ready to shoot a basket. He rolled his eyes and skipped to the last one, his mouth going dry as his jaw dropped.

It was a full-body shot of her in a beaded azure bikini, the color perfect for her, one slim hand brushing through the exposed tuft of white fur on her chest, the other caressing the sweeping curve of her hip. He suddenly ached to lose himself in those shining lavender eyes, amplified by thick lashes and dark eyeshadow, her glossed pink lips curled in the barest hint of a seductive smile. He swallowed thickly, turning back to the first page.

 _'Name: Hopps, Judith L_

 _Date of Birth: 13, July, 1997_

 _Current Location: Blackwood Cove, California'_

At least he knew where to find her, but her file had made it sound like she'd lived a perfectly normal life, so why would she need protection? Had one of her parents done something, or gotten themselves into some kind of trouble?

 _Guess I'll just have to find out._

* * *

 _For a guidebook, this thing doesn't say much…_

Judy flipped absently through it again, her lilac eyes darting to the window every few seconds. The one-bedroom apartment was on the top floor of a new complex on the edge of town, less than a mile from the docks. The ferry was the only public way to or from White Island, hardly fifty square miles, most of it still covered by forest. The slim book she'd managed to snag from the visitor's center had plenty of history, but next to nothing about the town currently.

 _But it's still better than going on blind…_

 _'White Island sits thirty miles off the coast of northern California,'_ she read for about the fiftieth time. _'It's so named for the limestone bluffs that protected the original settlement from rough weather, which surrounds it to this day. One local legend also claims that—'_

She snapped it shut and turned it back to the window. The two-lane road that led to town cut right through what was left of that bluff, after almost two centuries of being hacked at for construction material. It also passed a large sign, made of planks painted a cheery white and blue, welcoming everyone to the little town of Blackwood Cove, proudly established in 1834.

The sun was just starting to set, highlighting the forest in amber as the bright blue sky faded to the violet of a late summer twilight. As excited as she was for the chance to start a new life, to try and forget what had happened, she still longed for the one she knew had ended years ago.

'Ended' would be putting it mildly, she decided. It would be more accurate to say it had gone up in crazy, blood-tinged flames. The few officers she'd managed to talk to had said they couldn't confirm a culprit, or a motive, and that it just as likely could've been a terrible accident. Even with what little she'd understood back then, she'd known they'd been lying. She'd wanted to scream at them, to say it all could have been avoided if they'd just paid attention in the first place. But they hadn't, and everyone around her had been forced to pay the price. Well, nearly everyone.

 _Why did it have to happen,_ she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms. _What did we do to deserve all this?!_

Her eyes burned, but the tears wouldn't come. She'd buried them too deep for too long. She swiped at her cheek, then nudged the book from its spot on the back of the couch. It fell open, showing another passage she'd read a hundred times.

 _'A thick forest of pine, maple, oak and birch still covers most of the island, the oldest trees dating back to before the first settlement. A large underground spring in the east hills feeds a web of ponds and streams.'_

She skipped ahead, skimming the story of how the first settlers had stumbled upon a deep vein of pure silver, one family taking control of the new mine and trade, while another began organizing and building the town. According to records, a ring of scorched trees had surrounded a small inlet, the only clear path in the rocky waters surrounding the island, leading those pilgrims to name their new home Blackwood Cove.

She tossed it on the glass coffee table and stretched out on the plush white couch, trying to ignore the bruises and scabs peeking through the fur on her legs. Miranda, one of her best friends, had assured her the chest was still waiting in her attic, full of the only things Judy had been able to save. She'd promised to send it as soon as Judy told her it was safe, that she'd finally gotten away from the mammal that had ruined everything.

 _I'm not about to let her take anything else from me,_ she snatched the book and stuffed it under the glossy pale end table, just as a set of keys jungled softly outside. The locked clicked, and the door swung open, an older, cream-colored beauty strutting in like it was the Paris catwalk.

"You're still awake," the jill murmured dismissively, staring at herself in her favorite baby blue compact. Judy's cold stare grew icier as Kara dropped her matching purse on the tiny kitchen counter, blowing herself a kiss before snapping the compact shut.

"How'd it go?" Judy asked flatly. Her stepmother had gone that morning to sign the last of the paperwork, putting an end to their month-long stint in the little apartment.

"Everything should be here tomorrow," she grabbed her purse, tossing Judy a white paper bag as she headed for the bedroom. "And before I forget, I got you something."

She shut the door and locked it, Judy's mouth starting to water when she saw _Sweet Tooth_ in pale pink frosting letters across the front of the bag. She ripped open the top, pulling out a chocolate donut topped with powdered sugar, a local specialty that had become one of her favorites. She took a large bite, licking at the sugar that stuck to her lips, moaning happily at the sweet tartness of fresh raspberry jam. That was the best part.

She fished the napkin from the bag when she finished, heading to the kitchen to clean herself up; it was almost impossible to eat those things neatly.

 _I should take care of the carpet before she's done in there,_ she glanced at the closed door, sighing in relief when she heard running water. She could clean the apartment twice over in the time it took that bitch to bathe. _I don't want to give her another reason to…_

She swallowed hard, forcing the thought from her mind. She'd already spent enough time on it today, and there was still plenty else for her to worry about.

* * *

Kara came into the living room two hours later, her dyed, damp fur lying flat against her skin; she tied her blue cashmere bathrobe tightly around her trim waist. The long, perfumed soak in the tub had been just what she'd needed, after everything she'd had to put up with. It had taken that real estate agent far too long to find the right house, even longer to persuade the sellers to accept what it had really been worth.

Then, there had been Judy.

The doe had always been a problem, and had recently decided she was old enough to not have to listen any longer. Fortunately, reigning in troublemakers was what Kara Hopps excelled at. Walking into the living room, she wasn't surprised to see Judy passed out on the floor, the pale carpet by her head dotted with crumbs, her hand draped limply over a half-dried paper towel. Judy had always had issues with food, especially candy and desserts. She picked up the crinkled Sweet Tooth bag and set it on the coffee table, recalling how easy it had been to add her own little surprise to the donut. The sedative was sure to keep Judy down for the rest of the night, if not even longer.

"Oh, you poor thing," she smirked as she said it, kneeling down to swipe the guidebook from its hiding place. Judy had really thought she'd gotten away with buying it on the sly. With mocking tenderness, she brushed through some of the fur on the girl's temple, tracing the edge of a small, fading bruise at her temple. Yet another of the reminders she'd chosen to ignore. "When will you figure out that you can't hide anything from me?"

She nudged Judy's head aside, grabbed the thin, ratty blanket from the end table cabinet, shook it out and threw it carelessly over the unconscious girl; no point in letting her get sick. The book went right into the trash with the bag, where they both belonged.

 _She'll figure it out eventually,_ she looked back over her shoulder, her full pink lips curling in a faint, disgusted sneer. _If she knows what's good for her._


	3. Chapter 3

Judy stopped by Blackwood High's brick sign, looming well above her head, running a hand along the rough surface. It didn't surprise her how much smaller it was than her old school, since the town's population wasn't even a fraction of Zootopia's, a single brick building with neatly squared hedges under the white-trimmed windows on the first floor. Several on the second had plant boxes hanging from them, filled with either flowers or herbs. A tall oak tree grew on either side of the front walk, lined with pale pink and yellow pansies, a simple stone bench resting in the shade of each.

The frosted glass front doors had been propped open, cloud-mottled sunlight streaking in to mingle with the fluorescents that lit the halls. She kept close to the railing as she climbed the side of the steps made for smaller mammals, though the largest species she could see was the occasional wolf or cheetah, jumping when someone smacked her butt. She whirled to glare at the snickering rabbit buck who'd done it, his friends cracking up when she flipped him off. That was one thing she hadn't missed.

The hall was more crowded than she'd thought it would be, mammals grouped by their lockers or against the walls, chatting and laughing as they waited for the first bell. Judy glanced at the strip of paper she'd taped to her bracelet: her new locker number and the combination. She'd just found it when a coyote leaned against the next one, smiling brightly as he smoothed a hand over his short headfur.

"Howdy there, miss," he started, in the worst southern accent she'd ever heard. A silver canine tooth flashed in his mouth. "How's it going for ya?"

She snickered, shaking her head as she went for the lock, going stiff when he ran a finger down her back, making her shudder.

"Get off," she smacked his hand away. He winced, then went back to his charming smile.

"Aw, come on, now," he lowered his voice and bent closer. "Y'all know you want me."

She pushed him back. Why wasn't anyone seeing this?

"I don't even know you!"

"That wouldn't take long, he chuckled, putting an arm around her. "What y'all say?"

She scowled, pulling out of his grip.

"I'm not looking for trouble," she said testily. Of course this would happen on her first day. "Just leave me alone, all right?"

He laughed again, snatching her wrist when she tried to leave. She didn't give him a chance to say anything else, turning quickly to hop and knee him hard in the stomach. She grabbed his wrist with the hand he held and twisted, stepping out of his reach when he was forced to let go.

"Y'all got spunk," he groaned lowly in pain, then straightened. The almost teasing gleam in his hazel eyes had gone dangerously dark. "I like that, but it doesn't mean I'm going to let you—"

"Trust me, Chad," a pale gray hare with black stripes on his cheeks touched the coyote's side. "You do _not_ want to go there with her."

Chad glowered at him, then rolled his eyes.

"Ah, forget it, I'm out of here."

Judy watched as he stormed off, then turned to the other boy. He smiled, the same one she'd seen so many times before.

"It's about time you got here."

He laughed when she jumped at him, staggering a bit before returning her tight hug.

"It's so great to see you again, Jack!" she was almost in tears, she really had her best friend back! He chuckled, then stepped back, keeping his hands on her shoulders. He was finally taller than her, his headfur longer, and he'd grown out of his baby face stage.

"It's awesome to see you, too, Judy," he put his hands in the pockets of his tan cargo shorts, a staple in his wardrobe since fifth grade. His thin lips turned in a worried frown. "How's it been?"

Her smile dropped, and she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Not good," she started quietly, hugging herself. "There's so much we have to—"

She gasped when the bell rang, having expected the chime her old school had used. He touched her shoulder again, giving it a brief squeeze.

"Hey, I'll see you at lunch, okay? We can talk then."

She nodded, then glanced behind her, scanning the quickly emptying hall. Why did it suddenly feel like someone was watching her? Sighing, she turned back and flashed a small, weak smile.

"Yeah, see you then, Jack."

* * *

Judy's fingers tightened on the edges of her tray as she stared across the packed cafeteria, hoping to find either Jack, or an empty table. The day hadn't been much different from one at her old school: girls glaring jealously at her, or whispering and laughing behind their hands. Guys smacking her ass, asking if she wanted to get to know them better. All that was missing were the accusations that she was screwing every athlete on campus, though she was sure it wouldn't take too long to start.

 _At least it feels like home…_

"Hey, Judy!"

She jumped at the shout, seeing Skye wave excitedly at her. A fellow sophomore, the bubbly swift fox had volunteered to show her around, and was her assigned partner for study hall. The only problem was she'd apparently never learned how to whisper, making it impossible to ask anything Judy didn't want the whole room hearing the answer to.

"Come on," Skye ran up to her, still beaming. "I'll show you where my friends and I sit!"

Judy followed mutely, thinking about the only questions the other girl had refused to answer. It had been about the teacher's aide in their chemistry class, a quiet boy who'd gotten things rolling so quickly they'd been able to start their homework before the hour was up. She took the seat Skye pushed out for her, set her tray aside and buried her face in her arms. Two periods had passed since she'd seen him, and she couldn't get him out of her head: his smooth fur, cool gaze and an assuring, but commanding presence, despite never saying a word. She sat up and propped her chin in her hand, playing with the loose corner of her sandwich wrapper. She was surprised she'd gotten lunch money at all.

"Who is that guy?"

She looked up when Skye sighed.

"He's a junior," she said, brushing a stray strand of fur from her shoulder. Her pale blue eyes had a worried gleam. "His name's Nick."

Judy looked at her.

"A junior?" and he was already an aide?

Skye nodded.

"But that's all I know for sure, that's why I couldn't answer your questions," she opened her milk and took a sip. "My boyfriend's in his band, though. He'll know more."

"More about what?" Jack climbed on the seat next to her, having to stand to kiss her cheek.

"That weird guy you're friends with, the quiet one," she swatted his hand from her milk when he sat down. "Judy was asking about him earlier."

"Nick's not weird," he sounded like they'd had the disagreement before. "You'd know that if you actually talked to him."

He unwrapped his sandwich and took a large bite. She smoothed the pale fur on her cheek.

"There's something I've never trusted about him," she went on, taking her milk out of his reach. He shook his head, then swallowed.

"He's nowhere near as bad as you think," he told her, then looked past her toward the doors. "But speaking of untrustworthy…"

"Oh no…" Skye followed his gaze, groaning as she turned back to the table. "Not her again…"

Judy turned to see a tall, slender red panda sauntering toward them, her cloud gray eyes lacking the smile plastered to her lips. The expression turned downright venomous when she stopped at their table.

"I thought we were getting a new girl today," she focused on Judy, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "What was your name again? Carrot-Brained Hopps?"

Judy snorted, was that the best this girl could come up with?

"It's Judy," she tilted her head. "Who're you?"

The panda leveled a cold stare at her.

"The name's Stephanie, newbie," she answered flatly. "And you better remember it."

Judy brushed one of her ears over her shoulder.

"And why's that?"

Stephanie laughed scornfully.

"Because I rule this place," she said with too much pride. "And everyone knows it."

"Everyone except me," Judy grinned innocently, she was almost starting to enjoy this. "I'm new, remember?"

Stephanie laughed again, the sound fading fast.

"I know, and that's why I'm telling you," she leaned over the table. "So you'll learn your place."

Judy stared at her, then gave an exaggerated yawn.

"How about you just give me your number?" she asked. "Then I can call you when I care."

She got up, tossing her uneaten lunch in the trash. She'd been feeling sick lately, anyway.

"Now, if that's all you wanted to say, I've got better things to do."

"I'd suggest changing that outfit first," she side-eyed Judy's tie-dye dress and white shrug jacket. "Or do you want everyone to know you're a loser?"

Judy scoffed.

"Better a loser than a poser," she swept past Stephanie, then snickered. "I'm loving the extra tail, though!"

Jack and Skye started laughing, Skye pointing to the limp trail of toilet paper fluttering at the back of Stephanie's skirt. The panda glared at her, her face flushing red under her golden fur as the laughter spread. She ripped the paper off, crushing it in her fist as she whirled back to Judy.

"You better enjoy this, bitch," she growled menacingly. "Because I am going to end you!"

Judy shrugged, throwing a small wave over her shoulder as she twirled away.

"Have fun with that, Steph!"

* * *

As Judy had come to expect, Kara was already drunk when she got home that afternoon. She skipped going in the house, instead slipping around back to sit under the open dining room window. Her stepmother wouldn't be able to see her unless she leaned over the sill and looked down, and by the time she managed to stumble to the back door, Judy would have already disappeared down the trail through the woods. She stifled a laugh as the doe failed to slur various curses, choking on it when an empty bottle sailed over her head, shattering when it hit a rock sticking out of the overgrown grass. She swallowed, rubbing her arms as a chill shot through her.

 _I can't risk her finding me while she's like this…_

She waited until she heard a door slam further inside, then got up and sprinted toward the trail, giving the broken glass a wide berth. She'd spotted it from her window a few days after they'd moved in, but this was the first time she'd followed it. It lead to a clearing, the grass scattered with early autumn wildflowers, a smooth, flat boulder sitting on the bank of a large pond. Across the clear, still water, a pair of ducks and their babies were waddling into the undergrowth.

 _It's so peaceful out here…wait, where's that music coming from?_

She followed it to some towering pines, peeking around one to see an iPod speaker on an old stump.

 _That's the guy from my chemistry class, Nick,_ she thought. _But what's he doing out here?_

He was dressed in loose black sweatpants, his damp white shirt clinging to every curve and contour of his body. His russet and cream fur was damp like he'd just finished swimming, her mouth going slightly dry when she saw how it laid against his muscles, the biggest she'd ever seen on a fox. Not that she'd seen many foxes, since the Meadowlands had been mostly rabbits and sheep, so predators tended to avoid ir. Her jaw dropped when he performed a perfect flying spin kick, his landing nearly silent. The heavy rock instrumental he'd been playing faded out, replaced with a soothing track that reminded her of her father's favorite tai-chi music. He switched seamlessly to it, undiluted power evident in each graceful movement.

She ducked behind the tree before he could notice her, leaning heavily against the trunk. Feeling the blush burning in her ears, she bit her lip, the memories flooding back. She still couldn't forgive herself for what had happened to Andy, not long before the fire. The guilt from both events twisted in her gut; she couldn't go through that again, she just couldn't!

She barely noticed when the music stopped, the chill in the air biting through her thin jacket. The sun had almost dipped under the tree line, the sky overhead already tinged with stars.

 _How long have I been standing here?_

She jumped when her phone went off, the alarm telling her she only had five minutes until curfew. It had taken almost twenty to reach the clearing. She gulped, hoping Kara had passed out on the couch, and that she'd been too drunk to remember the security system.

* * *

"Well, look who it is," Stephanie's lips were twisted in her usual fake smile, her eyes colder than ever. Judy glared at her, slamming her locker shut. It had been two weeks since she'd had to deal with the girl, she'd started hoping it would stay that way.

"What do you want now?" she asked flatly. Stephanie's smile dropped.

"I know you've been asking about Nick," she said angrily. "And I want you to stop."

Judy crossed her arms, meeting the taller girl's glare.

"Can I at least know why you're asking?"

" _You're_ the one who's going to stop asking," Stephanie spat. "Because Nick is _mine_!"

Judy smirked.

"Then you've got nothing to worry about, Steph," she stepped back, flashing her own smug grin. "I'm not interested in guys stupid enough to want you."

Stephanie growled, then stormed down the hall, shoving aside anybody who got in her way. Judy shook her head, her ears perking when someone laughed behind her.

"About time someone else stood up to her," Nick was smiling as he shut his locker. Judy noticed he was taller than she'd thought; the top of her head barely hit his chest.

"How long were you listening to that?" she asked, thankful he hadn't tried to step in and save her; she was sick of mammals thinking she couldn't fight her own battles. He shrugged, shoving his claws through his messy headfur.

"Long enough."

He started toward the front doors, motioning for her to follow.

"Why the sudden interest?" she asked, once she'd caught up. He looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been here for over a month," she clarified. "And you've barely even looked at me."

He led her to the dirt path that ran next to the school.

"I don't know," he said, once the building was out of sight. "Guess I got curious."

There was a pair of benches about halfway in, made by wood shop students. Judy pulled off her headband as they sat down, rolled it up and shoved it in her pocket.

"Let me guess, you heard a coyote with a big mouth bragging about how he got me to screw him my first day."

He chuckled again.

"Your name's Judy, right?" he asked. "Jack said you guys grew up together."

She nodded. Jack had spent half the last week telling her about Nick, and now he'd been talking to him about her, too?

"We were best friends from daycare," she started, her eyes glued to her lap. "He was pretty much the only one who wasn't scared off somehow…"

She clenched her jaw as a spattering of memories ran through her mind, feeling the tears she'd thought she'd buried rushing to the surface. She looked up when Nick touched her hand, his sooty fur rough and warm against hers.

"Everything okay?" he asked softly. She did her best to blink the tears away.

"Y-Yeah, sorry," she touched her forehead. "Got kind of dizzy for a second."

"You sure that's all it was?" he pressed gently. "You looked pretty upset."

Her jaw tightened again, his worried gaze burning her.

"I don't talk about it," she snapped. "Especially with someone I just met."

She noticed he was still staring at their hands, the edge of a fresh bruise peeking through her fur by her sleeve. She pulled away, shoving her fists in her coat pockets.

"M-My stepmom was drunk," she muttered, barely looking at him. "I-It was an accident…"

He visibly tensed.

"I said the same thing about my family," his emerald green eyes hardened. "It's never an accident."

She swallowed, he was kind of scary when he was mad.

"Maybe I could help you," he went on, his tone soft and comforting again. "But you'd have to tell me what happened."

She hesitated. It sounded like he genuinely wanted to help, but could she really trust him? According to Jack, she could, but Skye's doubts had managed to worm their way into her mind, leaving her stuck on the fence. She told herself that nothing good had come from keeping quiet back home, not that anyone had been trying too hard to listen, and that shutting mammals out had caused half her problems, anyway. She swallowed again, deciding she might as well take the plunge.

"Okay, but it's a long story," she looked up at him, taking solace in the warmth of his gaze. "And it started when my dad met a bunny named Kara…"


	4. Chapter 4

_Since this story is pretty much copied from a novel I finished before Zootopia was released, Judy is going to be Bonnie and Stu's niece, because otherwise they'll be completely out of character. You'll see what I mean..._

* * *

 _July, 2006_

Colleen Hopps bent over the sink, rinsing the suds from a mismatched collection of plastic plates and cups. She'd decided to wash the dishes by hand, scrubbing longer and harder than needed, hoping it help vent the frustration that had been building since that afternoon.

"Momma, who was that lady?" Judy tugged on her shirt. The little girl was still in her ice cream-stained blue jumper, a smear of chocolate on the short sleeve of her white shirt. "Why was she at my party?"

Colleen sighed, then shook her head. It was Judy's ninth birthday, and it hadn't taken long for the party to fall apart, once Kara had shown up.

"I don't know, honey," she murmured. "I don't know…"

She set the last cup on the drying rack, then wiped her hands on the towel tossed over her shoulder. The three-year-old triplets were standing on their chairs around the kitchen table, elbow-deep in the remains of Lena's cake. Eleven-year-old Michael was doing his best to keep them out of it, but from the clumps of crumb sand in his fur and the icing rainbow streaking his glasses, it wasn't going well. She stifled a laugh, deciding to put her worries on hold for the night.

"Come on, you three," she wiped bright yellow frosting from Kyle's chin. He was the only one who'd gotten her pale tan fur, the others either sandy brown or Ryan's brownish gray. "I think a bath is in order."

"No!" Zach said stubbornly, his big brown eyes bright with sugar rush. "I want cake!"

"My cake!" Kyle shouted, trying to squirm out of her grip. She clicked her tongue.

"You've all had more than enough sugar today," she picked up Brianna, who had the remains of a fuchsia flower smeared across her fuzzy, pudgy cheeks. Her ears, bedecked with her normal pale pink bows, were also highlighted with it. "Time to wash off the leftovers."

"You want me to clean this up, Mom?" Michael asked from the sink, as he wiped his face with a damp paper towel, groaning when he saw the stains still covering his glasses. She nodded, unable to suppress a smile.

"I'll come help when they're settled," she said, chuckling. She shifted her grip on Brianna and picked up Zach, Kyle trailing slightly behind as they headed upstairs.

* * *

Michael waited until their mom was gone before turning to Judy, keeping his voice low in case Kyle tried to sneak back.

"Dad's been gone for a while," he pointed to the door to the living room. "Go see what he's up to."

Judy glanced at the other doorway before nodding, then tiptoed to the entryway. She ducked behind their great-aunt's china hutch, peeking out to see that Kara lady standing too close to their dad. She was giggling, leaning and brushing against him.

"You didn't tell me you had kids," she sounded like she'd just woken up after the dentist. He shrugged.

"Didn't think I needed to," he sounded like he always did. "I have all those pictures of them in my office."

"Really? I never noticed," she ran her claws through his headfur, then looked confused. "You don't think she knows, do you?"

"Of course not," he flashed a smile, one Judy had only seen him give her mom. "She's too trusting."

Kara wobbled as she shook her head, was she sick?

"That'll get her in trouble someday."

"I know, but its good news for us," he put an arm around her waist and gave her that smile again. He opened the door, letting in the warm, sticky night air. "May I walk you out?"

Kara giggled again, still wobbling.

"My, what a gentlemammal."

He chuckled.

"You know me," he winked at her. "I live to please!"

* * *

 _September, 2006_

"She's just a colleague," their father snapped defensively, his voice muffled by the kitchen door. "There's nothing going on between us!"

"Don't lie to me," their mother returned angrily, her voice edged with tears. "How long have you been seeing her?!"

"I'm not seeing anyone!"

She scoffed in disbelief.

"We've been married for thirteen years," she shouted. "How could you do this to me, to the kids?!"

"I haven't done anything," he yelled. "You're overreacting!"

"Our _daughter_ saw you with her," her voice cracked again. "Don't tell me I'm overreacting!"

Michael cringed, able to hear everything over the music Judy had put on in the living room. Their parents had been fighting since the day after her party, when their dad had come home smelling like expensive perfume and wine. The collar and cuffs his wrinkled white shirt had been smeared with shiny pink lipstick.

"Why would Dad cheat?" Judy sat on her knees at the coffee table, drawing with Zach and Brianna. She only used dark colors like that when she was scared or worried. He cringed, wishing he hadn't told her what was going on.

"I couldn't tell you," he said, pausing his game. _Unless I wanted you to break down crying,_ he added silently. He watched her make random dots across the page before she capped her marker, doing the same with Zach's and Brianna's before dropping them in the box on the table.

"Doesn't he love Mom anymore?"

"I'm sure he does," he shut off the GameCube; an afternoon of Luigi's Mansion had lost its appeal. "He just made a really dumb choice."

He got up from the floor and went to the arts-and-crafts rack, grabbing a pencil and a few sheets of paper. Judy scooted closer when he sat down at the coffee table, watching as he filled the first page with sketches. He drew himself with oversized glasses and a huge smile, making two Vs with his fingers. She giggled when he started one of their father: short with bald ears, bloated cheeks and squinting eyes.

The pencil skipped across the page when the kitchen door banged open, their father storming out and almost stepping on Kyle. The kit had a habit of being in just the right place for that. Their mother stopped in the doorway, her fingers shaking from how tightly she was holding the jamb.

"And where do you think you're going?" she demanded. He glared at her.

"A motel, where do you think?" he spat back. "And I'm not coming back until you've calmed the fuck down!"

She gasped. It wasn't the first time he'd sworn in front of them, but it was the first she'd been around to hear it. He grabbed his keys from the rack in the entryway, slamming the front door behind him. She didn't try to follow, instead storming back into the kitchen, shutting the light door so hard that it popped back open. Michael turned to Judy, hating the wide-eyed fear he saw on her face. Her fist was closed so tightly on the table top that her short claws had dug into her palm pad.

"S-Something bad's going to happen, isn't it Michael?" she asked. He just shook his head, hoping she wasn't right.

* * *

 _March, 2007_

"You can't do this to me," their mother sat on the bed, her face worn, her fur tear-stained. "Please, Ryan, don't go!"

Their father had spent the last two days clearing his things out of the big dresser and walk-in closet they shared, stuffing it all into boxes.

"I haven't been happy in a long time," he told her. "I'm leaving, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Michael was sitting out of sight on the back porch, having cracked open their sliding glass door out of morbid curiosity. Things had just kept getting worse, his father no longer trying to hide the affair.

"Ryan, please, I love you," their mother begged again. "And what about the kids?"

Their father gave her a disgusted look.

"Keep them," he said simply. "I never wanted the brats, anyway."

She broke down. He scoffed, throwing the last of his stuff in an old hiking pack. Michael scowled, fighting his own tears.

"H-How long have you been seeing her?" she demanded tearfully; he'd never heard her so angry. His father smiled, cold and mean.

"Since you were pregnant with the triplets, I wasn't going to be seen with an overgrown cow like that."

That got her going again. He laughed, barely looking up when Michael threw the door open.

"You can't talk to Mom like that!" he shouted, storming between them. His father scowled at him; Michael hated the fact he looked so much like him.

"Stay out of this, scrap," he said. "You're too young to understand."

Michael growled.

"Oh, I understand, all right," he couldn't remember when he'd been so mad. "I understand you're a lying dirtbag that's not worth the pot he—"

His father smacked him, sending his glasses flying. His mother gasped.

"You're lucky you're even alive, you little brat," he snapped coldly. "Don't make me regret it."

He closed the pack and threw it over his shoulder, grabbing a small stack of boxes before storming out. Michael spat on one of the others, wiping his mouth as he grabbed his glasses off the floor. His mother's typically shiny fur was dull and greasy, her clear violet eyes red and puffy. He sat down next to her, hugging her tightly. She sniffled.

"Oh, Michael," she choked on a sob. "I-I'm so sorry about all this…"

"I know," he said quietly. "But it's not your fault."

She tried to smile, her pale pink lips trembling.

"We were so happy before he started working for that other firm," she wiped her eyes. "I-I don't know what happened…"

"He met Kara," he spat the name. They hadn't seen her since Judy's birthday party, but that hadn't cooled his hatred of her. "You won't let me use the words to say how I feel about her."

She managed to laugh a little.

"You're so much like Ryan used to be," she brushed some loose fur from his forehead, then kissed it. "I wish he was still the bunny I married, but you can't help how mammals change."

He looked at her, wondering how anyone could treat her so badly. But he had to agree that she was a bit too trusting, that they wouldn't be dealing with this now if she'd walked away from his father sooner. Not that he'd ever tell her that.

"How'd you meet him, anyway?" he realized he'd never asked. She sighed wistfully, her eyes shining a bit.

"I was working at my grandfather's café in San Francisco," she started. "Ryan came in for breakfast one morning, saying he was on business from a law firm in Makakilo. He came back to ask me out after my shift, and I ended up flying back to Hawaii with him."

"Did you ever think about leaving?" he had to know. She nodded.

"A few times, but he always managed to convince me to stay," she tucked a limp ear behind her shoulder. "About a year and a half after we got married, he was transferred here, and then I found out I was pregnant with you."

It was quiet for a while, as they watched the triplets play in the backyard. Judy was staring out the treehouse window, where she'd been closed in all morning.

"Did Dad mean that," he asked at last. "That he never wanted us?"

Her smile was forced.

"I'm sure he didn't," she hugged him. "He's just upset."

He rolled his eyes.

"Why would he be upset? He's not the one getting—" he stopped himself. "Uh, sorry, Mom…"

She wiped her eyes again.

"It's all right," she sighed. "Like I said, you can't help how mammals change."

"I know," he kissed her cheek. "And things always get better eventually, right?"

 _I hope…_

* * *

 _July, 2007_

"Yes," Ryan nodded, feeling the tension in his neck. "Yes, I know. Thank you for telling me."

He waited for the other male to hang up, then slammed the phone down. He'd filed for divorce months ago, but Colleen still refused to sign the papers, he'd forgotten how stubborn she could be. It didn't help that the children, at least Michael and Judy, were on her side. His frustrated scowl faded a bit when he remembered what he'd had with Colleen, before a bunny like Kara had hopped into his life.

"Is everything okay?"

Kara slinked into the room, dressed in a tiny, pink silk nightgown and a sheer, flowing robe. Her tousled gold fur and demure expression reminded him why he'd left his wife for her. She was everything Colleen had been: voluptuous, compliant, ready and willing to experiment.

"She's just being difficult," he pulled her in his lap. "She'll come around."

She played with the top button of his open shirt, running her hand through the dark fur on his chest.

"I don't think your kids like me too much," she said softly, frowning.

"It's been a while since they saw you," he reminded her. "They've grown up some since then."

"But do you really want them?" she shrugged one shoulder, the sleeve of her robe slipping down her slim arm. "We won't have as much time for us if they're always around."

He scowled again.

"She'd win if I let her have them," it turned into an arrogant smirk. "Besides, they're a tax break."

She stared at him, but the shock faded quickly.

"Will everything still go like we planned?" she let the other sleeve fall.

"Of course," his smirk dropped. "They'll just be a little…delayed."

She shook her head, touching his cheek.

"You're lucky I'm so patient," she told him, her lip curling when she glanced at his wedding band. He couldn't shake the habit of wearing it. "How long has it been since you were actually happy with her?"

He chuckled.

"I barely remember, actually," he shrugged. "I don't even know why I married her anymore."

She hummed thoughtfully, then took his hand.

"You loved her at some point, I'm sure," she pulled the ring off, smiling when it clinked to the floor. "But I can't see it any more than you do."

He laughed again, then wrapped his arms more tightly around her. She smiled, licking her lips before she kissed him soundly.

"You'll have the life you always wanted with me, honey," she whispered, peppering his mouth with more kisses. "You'll see."

* * *

 _April, 2008_

It was warm, the sky clear, the sun bright. The whisper of a breeze carried the scent of neighboring gardens across the cemetery, bringing little comfort to the mammals gathered around a fresh grave. A gray and white doe walked to the edge, sprinkling blue and pink flowers across the glossy casket below.

"Colleen was a wonderful mammal," Aunt Bonnie wiped the tears from her violet eyes. "She was an amazing sister friend, wife and mother. We'll miss her dearly, but she'll always be alive in our hearts."

She let the last of the petals fall from their wooden bowl and stepped back, putting an arm around Judy's shaking shoulders; she'd hardly looked up through the service, sobbing on and off into her hands. Their mother had gone missing three days before the divorce would have been finalized, and found a week later on the bank of a creek outside the city, facedown and naked. Her wrists and inner thighs had been slashed to ribbons, her body abused in every way possible. Her face had been beaten, mutilated, her fur shaved in jagged, uneven streaks. Whoever had killed her, had wanted her completely erased.

Their father stood off to the side with the triplets, fresh tears on his cheeks. Michael glared at him from behind limp ears, fury warping the grief in his eyes. He walked around the crowd and stopped next to Judy, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly.

"Goodbye, Mom," he whispered, his voice shaking. "We love you. Say hi to grandma for us, okay?"

The six of them lingered long after the others had left. The triplets, too young to understand death, had started playing among the gravestones, and it hadn't taken long for Judy to join in. Michael sat in the shadow of a maple tree, still glowering at their father. He'd pulled out his phone the second everyone was gone, and Michael knew he was talking to Kara.

"It's hard to believe she's gone," he sighed deeply. "There's still so much I wanted to tell her…"

He looked over his shoulder, clearing his throat when he saw Michael's anger, then walked away, so the kit couldn't hear him. He ended the call a few minutes later, saying it was time to leave.

"We'll visit Mom every weekend," he told Judy, when she started crying again. "I promise."

"I don't _want_ to visit her," she shouted tearfully, her sobs getting the triplets started. Michael did what he could to calm them down. "I want her to come home with us!"

"I do, too," his voice cracked, but Michael didn't believe a word of it. "But you know she can't anymore."

"Why not?" she demanded, stamping her foot. "She didn't deserve this, it's not fair, it's not fair!"

He sighed heavily, kneeling in front of her.

"I know it isn't," he hugged her again. "But there's nothing we can do."

Judy cried harder, burying her face in his black suit jacket. After a while, she sniffled loudly, swiping at her puffy eyes with her sleeve.

"D-Daddy," she hiccuped. "P-Promise you won't leave, too…"

"I—" he choked, then cleared his throat. "I won't, honey, I promise."

* * *

 _February, 2009_

It took their father less than a year to remarry. They'd barely gotten used to their mother's absence when he'd made the announcement, confirming what Michael had feared from the start.

"I thought it'd be nice to have a lady's touch around here again," he'd put his arm around Kara's slim shoulders, a new pair of wedding bands glinting on their fingers. Her wide smile was a contrast to her eyes, clouded, careless and cold.

"I'll try not to change too much around here," she'd said, the smile turning down. "But there will be a couple new rules."

Those 'couple new rules' had turned their lives into a prison. The TV had been moved from the living room to the master bedroom, the remote locked away with Kara's jewelry. The GameCube had been sold, their arts-and-crafts supplies tossed. The playroom had been cleared out for office space, their toys and games donated. The treehouse had been dismantled, the tree removed to make room for a daffodil garden. The old basketball hoop had been taken off the garage and used for bonfire kindling.

Curfew was four-thirty, giving them barely enough time to get home once school let out. Chores had to be finished and homework perfect by dinner, or they went to bed hungry. They weren't allowed to go with friends, or to have friends over. Any excessive noise or mess resulted in swift, harsh punishment. They had even been banned from visiting their mother's and grandmother's graves.

"Ugh, I can't stand this!" Michael glared at the stark ceiling. It was their mandatory nap hour, the house about as quiet as an empty church. His rock star room had been gutted, his posters thrown out, his CDs and drum kit sold, the red walls painted a cold, sterile white. Judy's safari room and the outer space room had gotten the same treatment, their handmade furniture replaced with bland, uniform white sets. "Why can't Dad see what she's doing?"

Sitting on the floor across from him, Judy tugged at her tight, lacy collar, scratching at the growing rash on her neck for the hundredth time. She'd been sensitive to it all her life, but Kara didn't care. She also hated dresses and skirts, the rules stating they were all she and Brianna were allowed to wear.

"I don't think he notices," she said quietly. Their father had transferred to a job that required year-round travel, and if he did have any concerns about what Kara was doing, he didn't voice them. Michael growled, wishing he could punch something.

"This is such bullcrap," he sat up and yanked off his polo, not caring when his glasses came off with it, and threw it on the floor. Like the others', his fur was sparse and brittle from malnutrition, his pale skin pocked with scars, his thin stomach covered by a nasty, dark violet bruise. The remnants of the latest beating he'd taken for Kyle. "As if uniforms at school weren't bad enough…"

Most of their clothing had been sold or donated, their closets filled with khakis, polos, puffy sleeves and plaid gingham skirts. Their shoes had been swapped for loafers and mary janes; no shorts or sandals were allowed, even during the humid Michigan summer.

"You think we should tell someone?" Judy asked. He sighed.

"I already tried that," he scratched his head. He and their brothers had been forced to get military fades, the girls pixie cuts. "No one listened to me."

She brought her knees to her chest, picking at a loose piece of the thin, spotless white carpet. Her eyes, dull and lifeless, trailed across her short painted claws. On a good day, a flaw would net the girls sore tails and a hungry night, but a bad one? It was a hungry night in the crawlspace under the back porch, then a beating for tracking dirt and mud into the house.

"You think they'll ever find who killed Mom?"

He scoffed.

"You and I both know who was behind that," he threw himself back on his pillow, though it barely counted as one. He was surprised they were allowed to have them at all. She sniffled, blinking away tears.

"It's not fair," she murmured, resting her forehead on her knees. "She does whatever she wants to us, and no one even tries to stop her!"

He sat up, his fist tightening on his thin sheet.

"She won't get away with it forever, sis," he wasn't sure he believed it himself. "I can promise you that."

She started to say something, her mouth snapping shut when they heard Kara's footsteps on the stairs. Judy shot up and went to the door, stopping before she opened it. She glanced back at him, flashing what had become her usual small, bitter smile.

"As long as you don't keep promises the way Dad does."

She slipped out, closing the door silently behind her. He hoped she'd make it back to her room before Kara caught her.

"Judith Laverne Hopps!"

 _Oh no…_

* * *

 _May, 2010_

"What do you mean, you're moving?" Judy couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Jack was a year older, her best friend since she'd started at their daycare. He ran a hand through his short headfur, his dark blue eyes full of disappointment and annoyance.

"It's not like I _want_ to," he said, scratching at his collar before loosening his tie. It was the last month of eighth grade, just three more weeks of strict private school rules and uncomfortable uniforms, at least for him. "But my parents just can't live her anymore."

She didn't have to ask why, she'd relived his older brother's death in her worst nightmares. His family had moved from Podunk when Jack was two, taking over management of the city's most popular skating rink.

"It won't be until summer," he added quickly. "So we still have a month to hang out."

She shook her head.

"That doesn't help," she said angrily, her voice breaking. "First Miranda leaves, and now you. Everyone I know is abandoning me!"

He cringed. Judy's life had been hell since her mother had died, and that was before their few other friends had started pulling away from her. Miranda had been born blind in one eye, and had been transferred to a special school across town. The fact her parents had always called Judy a bad influence had just made the blow worse.

"I-I could email you," he suggested. "O-Or send you postcards or something!"

She just shook her head again.

"I'm barely allowed to use the computers here," she said. "And Kara reads everything we get in the mail, then shreds it if she doesn't think it's important."

"Couldn't you just use the computer when she's not home," he asked. "Or get the mail before she does?"

She sighed.

"She changes the password every day, and this is what I got when I tried to grab Michael's birthday card from Aunt Bonnie," she turned her head, showing the scratches on her cheek and neck, the skin peeking through her fur tainted with a half-healed bruise. "This isn't even close to the worst thing she's done."

He shuffled his feet, then knelt down, tugging off his backpack and unzipping the largest pocket.

"This is where we're moving," he pulled out a slightly wrinkled pamphlet and handed it to her. The front was dark blue, _'The beauty of Blackwood Cove'_ arching elegantly across the top, the picture beneath a peaceful lakeside scene. "Put it where your dad can see it, maybe it'll give him ideas."

She stared at it, her fingers tightening as her eyes filled with tears. She threw it at him, then turned and ran down the hall. He sighed and picked it up, watching until she disappeared around the corner. He smoothed it out and stuck it back in the pocket, his own eyes starting to sting.

"Bye, Judy…"

* * *

 _March, 2012_

Judy touched her forehead. Why did it feel like she was made of lead, and why was she so exhausted? She blinked when she heard the heart monitor, her eyes widening when she saw the gray pulse cuff on her finger. She followed the thin tube in her arm, connected to a bag of saline hung on a metal stand. The white tile floor looked cold and sterile, a contrast to the warm, mint green walls, hung with generic flower paintings in plain wooden frames.

"You're finally awake," someone said, sounding endlessly relieved. "They said it should've happened a week ago…"

Judy ducked back when she saw Miranda, the otter smiling softly at her from a plain chair pulled close to the bed. She thought she saw something else behind that smile, but she was too dizzy to tell for sure.

"W-What do you mean?" her throat was so dry. She tried to push herself upright, wondering how she'd gotten so weak. "What am I doing here?"

Miranda's fading smile fell away, and she got up, going to a small table by the far wall, filling a plastic cup from a matching pink pitcher.

"They said you wouldn't remember anything," she came back and sat down, tapping a button on the floor that propped up the bed. She let out a breath. "I wish I didn't have to tell you any of this…"

Judy took the cup and sipped on it, waiting for her head to stop spinning.

"The last thing I remember is coming back from shopping," she started, the fear plain in her voice. "How did I get here? What happened?"

Miranda hesitated, then swallowed hard.

"There's no way to sugarcoat something like this," she said. "So I'll just say it: your family's gone, Judy."

Judy froze, staring blankly at her.

"W-What?" she shook her head. "N-No…no, that can't be…"

Miranda stared sullenly back at her; no smirk to show it was just another of her bad jokes, no sign her father or siblings had ever been there. She didn't fight the tears, letting them run freely down her cheeks. Some of the last mammals who cared for her, gone, just like that.

"I-I'm sorry, Judy," Miranda's voice broke, and she hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry!"

Later that day, Judy learned she'd spent the last three months in a coma, fighting a slow poison no doctor thought she'd survive. It took weeks to remember what had happened, and she wondered how she hadn't suspected anything.

Kyle, Zach and Brianna's tenth birthday had been a few days away, and Kara had decided to plan a party, when none of them had been allowed one since she'd moved in. She'd told Michael to keep the triplets busy while she and Judy went for supplies, insisting they try the new diner on Main Street when they'd finished.

The headache had come first, and by the time they'd gotten home, she'd barely been conscious. She couldn't catch her breath, and her pulse had echoed in her ears. She vaguely remembered Kara saying she'd send Michael out to help her, since he'd been coming up on his first year in nursing school. Then she was being dragged, hearing what she'd thought had been distant explosions. The first officer who'd come to speak with her had said the house had burst into flames, a fresh trail of olive oil leading from the car to the front door, meaning whoever had planned the attack had wanted her to die as well.

But there was only one thing she'd really wanted to know, and it was the only thing no one had been willing to tell her. It had taken a month of searching before she'd found an article about the fire, when she'd learned her family hadn't burned to death like she'd thought. Her father, having finished his last business trip early, had been lying in the doorway between the garage and the kitchen, Michael and the triplets huddled on the couch in the living room. All five of them had been shot in the head, but the only gun on the scene hadn't had any fingerprints, and had still been locked in the safe in her father's office. Kara had been found in the garden, unconscious with a nasty cut on the side of her head. She'd claimed to have been knocked out when she'd gone to close the gate in their back fence, that she'd been devastated when she'd found out what had happened. But that hadn't stopped her from claiming the life insurance as soon as she could.

* * *

 _October, 2013_

"I didn't see Kara until I was done with rehab," Judy finished, hugging herself tightly. "She came in my room after I was cleared to go home and said we were moving, smiling like nothing had ever happened."

She sat back, staring at the bench seat. The faded wood was carved with initials and pictures, a record of all the mammals who'd sat there before her. It was the first time she'd told the whole story, and it surprised her how light she felt, like half the world had fallen from her shoulders. Nick was silent beside her, his mouth slightly slack as he tried to digest it all.

"I-I've never heard anything like that," he finally managed, looking up at her. "And they _still_ haven't found out who did it?"

She shook her head.

"I _know_ who did it," she said bitterly. "But as far as the cops are concerned, it's a cold case."

He blinked.

"Do they at least have an idea _why_ it happened?"

She shrugged, her fingers tightening on her arm.

"Probably money, I never knew what my dad did," she added."But he made a hell of a lot doing it. The only reason we stayed in that house is because it in the best school district in the city."

The silence afterward stretched on. She bent down to pick up a twig, twirled it in her fingers, then tapped a short rhythm on her thigh.

"Michael wanted to be in a band, too," she said absently. "He tried teaching all of us to play the drums, but I was the only one old enough to make more than noise."

He chuckled, and she caught a glimpse of blue braces and moderately crooked, sharp white teeth.

"Sounds like he was a great guy."

"He was," she peeked at him past her limp ears, hoping he didn't notice the faint blush in them. "It's funny, you're a lot like him."

His smile faded.

"Heh, yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck, looking almost pensive. "Uh, hey, listen, I-I was wondering if you wanted to, uh—"

They jumped when her phone went off; she snatched it from her pocket and put it on vibrate.

"Oh, crap, I have to go," she got up, smiling warmly at him. "And thanks for listening to all that, really."

"O-Oh, yeah," he brought his hand back to his side. "Yeah, sure."

She hurried off, hating that her heart was beating so fast. It had only happened once before, and had ended horribly for everyone involved.

 _I can't let that happen again,_ she thought, barely remembering to head back inside to stop by her locker. The only thing Kara hated more than her being late was her forgetting anything at school. She nodded resolutely to herself. _So, I'll just have to make sure that it doesn't._


	5. Chapter 5

_Gabriel(TheNightManager) on the Zootopia Discord server helped translate the Italian lines for this story, so props to him! ^.^_

* * *

Most of the leaves had fallen, crunching under his feet as the wind whistled through the branches overhead, blowing swollen splinters of cloud across the quarter moon. It was just before midnight, the woods live with the hoots of owls, the chirps of frogs, and his own quick breathing. He tripped on a loose stone in the forgotten narrow path, barely catching himself on a tree, scorched and split by a lightning strike. He was glad for his night vision, since the higher-ups advised against flashlights; he knew he wasn't required to listen, but also that there was no such thing as a simple warning in this way of life. If they didn't want him using one, there was a good reason for it.

 _No one uses these old paths, though,_ he told himself. _What are they so worried about?_

It didn't take much longer to reach the building, if it could even be called one. The crooked, termite-scarred walls were held together with rusted bent nails, the weathered tin roof sagging and cracked. He pushed the warped door open, cringing at the protesting shriek from the hinges, coughing as the dust stirred up from his steps started to settle in his lungs. It didn't look any better inside, but at least it was warmer.

As usual, Anya was waiting for him, her hip cocked against a covered tray on a tall metal stand. Her slim legs were as enticing as ever in her favorite tight black jeans, the large tuft of fur on her chest exposed by her low-cut top, cinched at her small waist. She crossed her arms, flashing her typical ruby-tinged smirk. He'd known the silver ocelot for years, and she was one of the only mammals he felt he could trust.

"You're later than usual," she said. He shrugged and pulled off his jacket.

"Sorry, had some things to take care of."

She rolled her eyes, pulled the cloth off the tray and folded it, sticking it in her pocket. She picked up the first syringe, took off the clouded plastic cap and pressed lightly on the plunger. A tiny stream of thin black liquid spurted from the needle, the latest in a long line of shots she'd given him.

"You know these could kill you," she told him like always. He sat on the three-legged stool next to her and tugged up his sweater.

"You know I don't have a choice," he answered. "Besides, it's not _that_ bad."

The look on her face told him everything, but she said it, anyway.

"I just hate seeing you like that, you know I care about you."

He sighed, turning to the only window in the place. It was small, cracked and filthy, but anything was better than seeing her worried expression.

"I know."

He felt her hand shake as she disinfected the injection site, the smell of rubbing alcohol making his nose burn. He shivered as she lightly traced an old scar on his lower back, then heard her swallow.

"You sure you want to do this?" she asked. "I mean, it's not like you need it…"

He knew that, but the injections were addictive, or the feeling afterward, at least.

"I told you, it's orders," he said, more harshly than he'd wanted. "I can't back out."

She still hesitated, the tip of the needle barely scraping his skin.

"I know what you're thinking," he looked over his shoulder. "But it won't be as bad if you just get it over with."

She shook her head.

"It's not that…" her voice was low. He sighed again.

"Look, I know you're scared, but this is your job," he flashed a faint smile. "And would I really be here if I didn't want this?"

She didn't answer for a while, then finally muttered, "As long as you're sure."

He tried to control the tremors as she administered the shots, knowing one slip-up would leave him paralyzed. He could see his veins bulging through his fur as the mixtures coursed through them, the sheen of the sweat soaking his skin. He'd never get used to the burning, like he'd been buried under red-hot coals. Blood dribbled from the corners of his mouth, and he could taste the salt of tears on his lips. It felt like days passed before the pain and shaking faded, and he fell against the wall, his chest heaving as he fought to breathe.

"N-Never gets easier," he managed, trying to swallow. He turned to her, hating the fear in her big blue eyes. "You okay?"

She nodded, just slightly.

"I-I don't think it was as bad as usual," she glanced at the line of capped, empty needles on the tray. "Especially considering this was a new formula."

"Again?" he fixed his sweater. "What did they change this time?"

She grabbed his jacket, tossed over an old pipe sticking out of another wall.

"You know they don't give me specifics," she tossed it to him. "But you'd think they'd want me to know what I'm shooting into all of you."

"Yeah…" he knew she was lying, but he'd never press her. There was a reason for it, just like all the other secrets and codes surrounding the project, and besides, he had his own mission to focus on. One he was starting to doubt he'd be able to complete.

* * *

It had taken two weeks for the clouds to clear up, not that it did much to help the cold. Judy zipped her jacket the rest of the way and stuffed her hands in her pockets, trying to figure out just what Nick's game was. He'd barely glanced at her since that day at the walking path, where she'd somehow been talked into telling him her whole life story.

 _Why would he do that,_ she thought. _Make me spill my guts, then go back to acting like I don't exist?_

Jack and Chad, who she'd been surprised to find out she could actually get along with, had told her it was something to do with Nick's past. That he'd been through the ringer and had closed himself off almost completely. She wondered what could've happened to him, snapping a dead branch from another tree and tossing it aside. She spent every minute she could in the clearing behind her street: doing her homework, scratching out new designs in her notebook. If only she could build some kind of hut, somewhere to stay when Kara was on the warpath, since the doe would never risk her high-end clothes on a trek through the woods.

It didn't hurt that Nick was there almost every day, always too deep in a tai chi or kickboxing session to notice her stealing peeks at him from her perch by the boulder. As confused as she was about him, she couldn't deny how attractive he was, even when he slipped in the damp grass or a puddle.

She giggled, remembering when he'd fallen face first in a patch of mud a few weeks before, when summer had been winding down. He'd knelt on the far side of the pond, using handfuls of water to rinse the mud from his mouth, splashing his face to wash off the rest of it. He'd peeled off his shirt, dunking it in to try and clean the stain, and she'd gasped when he'd turned his back to her. He'd jumped up, looking around before tugging the soaked shirt over his head; she hadn't moved until she'd been sure he was gone, long after the sun had set.

 _I never thought_ that's _what he was hiding!_

The russet fur there had been sparse, the visible skin crisscrossed by long, narrow scars, the memory still enough to make her shudder. What the hell could have happened to him?

She looked around when she reached the clearing, not used to the silence. The pond was half-frozen, the slushy surface rippling in the wind, the last flowers clinging stubbornly to their fading petals. The only signs of life were some birds pecking and scratching at the ground, a small turtle digging its hibernation burrow on the bank.

 _That's weird,_ she stopped by the boulder, glad most of it was in the sun. _He's usually here before me, where'd he—_

"You know, if you wanted to spy on me, you could've at least asked."

She jumped; Nick was standing behind her, his arms crossed loosely at his chest, the same impassive look on his face. The black jacket and dark jeans he wore looked expensive, and fairly new.

"I-I'm not spying," her ears flared as she brushed invisible leaves from her long skirt. At least she'd been able to sneak a pair of leggings under it. "I just tried, and did you really have to scare me like that?"

He chuckled.

"I didn't _have_ to," he said lightly. "But you made it pretty easy."

She glared at him, turning to leave when he grabbed her shoulder.

"Okay, fine, I'm sorry I scared you," he flashed an amused smirk. "Happy?"

She pulled away.

"For now," she climbed on the boulder and crossed her legs. "And I wasn't spying."

"What would you call it, then?" he sat next to her, letting his feet dangle. "Stalking?"

She rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't call it anything, we just hang out in the same place every day and…"

"Completely ignore each other?" he finished for her. He leaned back on his hands, bringing one knee up. She huffed.

"Speak for yourself," she swept part of a twig from her sleeve. "You're the one who made me share my life story, then went right back to ignoring me."

He winced.

"You're right, that was messed up," he grinned sheepishly, showing his braces were red instead of blue. "I'm sorry, Judy, and I actually mean it this time."

She chuckled, nudging his shoulder.

"You don't have to sound so beat up about it, I'm not that delicate."

He laughed.

"So, why do you come out here for your tai chi and kickboxing?" she asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to do it at home?"

He shrugged.

"Yeah, but I like it out here," he paid back, putting his hands behind his head. "It's quiet."

"Until you start blaring your music" she stretched out on her side, propping her chin on her fist. "Not that I have a problem with your taste."

He smiled again.

"What about you?" he turned his head toward her. "Why do you like coming out here?"

She focused on her finger, as she traced a dark line in the rock. It was one thing to tell him what had happened in the past, but it felt like something completely different to let him know what she dealt with now.

"Skye told me you and Jack were in a band together," she said quickly. "How'd you guys meet?"

He looked at her, then sat up.

"Gym class," he straightened his jacket. "He's one of the only mammals who've ever kicked my ass at soccer."

"He always captain of some team back in Zootopia," she scratched her cheek. "But I never saw him even touch an instrument, what's he play?"

"Keyboard, but he usually just screws with the mixing when we record," he groaned. "Last time, he managed to make us sound like we had head colds."

She laughed. Jack had always loved things that messed with his voice.

"That sounds like him," she blushed again. "I'd love to hear you guys play sometimes, without the head colds."

He flashed a smile.

"I think I can arrange that."

* * *

"So, what happened after that?"

Skye put her elbows on the table and propped her chin in her hands. It was pouring outside, the students crammed in the cafeteria until it tapered off. Judy sighed, wishing she hadn't brought up that talk with Nick that morning, it was all the other girl had thought about since.

"He asked if I wanted to watch the meteor shower with him next weekend," she said flatly. Skye gaped at her.

"No. Way. Nick Wilde _asked you out_?"

"I don't know," she bit back a groan. "Is that a big deal or something?"

"Nick's probably the most popular guy in town," Skye made it sound like she should've known that by now. "Just about every girl wants him, some of the guys, too."

Judy shrugged.

"I'm sure he just wants someone to watch it with," a guy like Nick, wanting to date _her_? Yeah, right. "It doesn't have to mean anything."

Skye sighed dramatically.

"You don't get it yet," she started. "He's popular, but he's pretty uneasy around girls, he doesn't usually talk to us unless he really likes us."

Judy eyed her suspiciously.

"How do you know all this about him?" she asked. "Jack said you'd barely looked at Nick before I showed up."

Skye brushed her claws through the long fur on her cheek, a key sign she was hiding something.

"Oh, I asked around," she began innocently, cut off by a half-annoyed scoff behind her.

"Or you just asked me," a tall red panda with pale blue-gray eyes sat next to her, tugging a silver cross necklace from the collar of his dark purple T-shirt. She shot him a glare with no real heat.

"You're not the only one I talked to, Lance," she said. Lance shook his head, his thin lips still curled in that half-smile. Judy had heard about him from Jack and the others, but this was the first time she'd really seen him.

"You get obsessed with the weirdest things," he told Skye, before digging in his checkered backpack for a Mandy's bag. She rolled her eyes, turning away as she peeled the wrapper off a granola bar. She was a strict vegetarian, since she couldn't digest most of the proteins in fish or bugs. Chad groaned in frustration at the other end of the table, tearing the latest scribble-covered page from his notebook and crumpling it up. Jack sat across from him with his earbuds in, looking over a packet of sheet music.

"That's the eighth time you've done that," Judy noted as Chad tossed the page in the trash. "What are you trying to do over there?"

"These lyrics ain't coming together," he grumbled. She moved down a seat and looked over the other page. Several lines had been copied two or three times, others crossed out or stopped in the middle.

"It'll never work if you keep trying to force it," she took the pen from him. "Why don't you try thinking about something else for a while?"

"Would if I had time," he took it back. "But the concert's next month."

She looked at him.

"Concert?"

"It's a fundraiser," Lance explained. "Local musicians and artists get together to raise money for whatever the town votes on. This time, it was a girls' shelter."

Skye scoffed.

"Yeah, because guys never get abused," she crossed her arms. "I'm so sick of nobody talking about that side of it."

Judy shook her head.

"It's that whole 'guys don't need protection' mindset," she said. "Most of them won't admit to being abused, especially by girls, because most mammals won't believe them. If anything, they'd just be laughed out of the station."

"Hate to say it, but you're pretty much right," Jack put it. "It really ticks me off, too."

Lance looked around in the uncomfortable silence that followed, then sighed in frustration.

"Okay, where's Nick?" he checked the time on his phone, as thunder rumbled angrily overhead. The storm was finally dying down. "He said he'd show up a while ago."

"I saw him with Stephanie," Chad shut his notebook and stuck his pen in the spiral binding. "It was getting pretty heated, again."

The words caused a twinge of jealousy; Judy gripped her skirt, hoping the emotion didn't show in her face.

"What were they fighting about?" she hated how tight her voice sounded. He shrugged.

"Don't know, they walked away before I could catch it."

"Isn't she supposed to be dating Eric Stalker?" Skye asked. The boys glanced at each other. Eric was a golden cat, captain of the baseball team and Nick's rival for the best athlete in school. He'd also been hung up on Stephanie since sixth grade, and would do whatever she asked him to.

"I was actually starting to think they broke up," Jack rubbed the back of his neck. "I haven't seen them together in weeks."

"I don't know how anyone could date her," Chad pretended to gag. "That bitch is insane!"

Lance glared at him.

"Yeah? Well, try living with her," he complained. "You wouldn't last a day."

Chad laughed.

"Yeah, dude," he shook his head. "I don't know how you've survived this long!"

"She's your sister?" Judy turned to Lance. He groaned.

"As much as I hate to admit it."

Another silence followed, and Skye jumped to her feet.

"And I think we've sat here long enough," she smiled at them. "Who wants to try that new all-organic place downtown?"

"Can't," Chad answered quickly, grabbing his backpack. He shoved his notebook in and threw it over his shoulder. "I've got a dentist appointment."

"Practice," Jack and Lance echoed, packing their own things. A hurricane wouldn't be enough to get soccer cancelled. Judy tried to follow as they ran off, remembering what had happened last time they'd tried a place Skye had suggested. She'd never seen mammals puke so much. Skye grabbed her sleeve, gazing at the younger girl with kit eyes. Judy swallowed.

"Uh, Kara heard about that last murder on the news," she said quickly. It had been a month since the killings had started, and police still had almost nothing to work with. "She moved my curfew up."

"Oh, please," Skye let her go. "You said yourself that Kara's been out of town the last few weeks, she probably doesn't even know about them!"

She stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Besides, why would someone killing old males suddenly go after two girls?"

Judy looked at her, hoping a new excuse would pop into her head.

"Ugh, fine," she huffed, getting to her feet. "But if I end up dead, I get to haunt you."

Skye laughed.

"Deal!"

* * *

Skye finished the last bite of her spring salad, dabbing at her lips with a napkin. Judy was still staring at her cup of green tea, like she'd been since they'd gotten their order and sat down at their table. She reached over, nudging the mug back until it touched the younger girl's hand.

"You really like spacing out, don't you?"

Judy blinked, then looked up, her ears flushed in embarrassment.

"Huh? What?"

Skye smiled indulgently.

"I'm pretty sure I know what you were thinking about," she leaned forward and lowered her voice. "So, have you told him yet?"

Judy cocked her head.

"Told who what?"

Skye rolled her eyes, still smiling.

"Have you told Nick you like him yet?"

Judy went stiff.

"Well, no, but—" she shook her head, then glared at her. "It's not like that, okay? We're just friends!"

Skye pushed her bowl aside, leaning further over the table.

"Most girls can't be 'just friends' with a guy that hot," she whispered, giggling. "Even I did for a while, before I realized how weird he is."

Judy groaned.

"Okay, yeah, he's hot," she conceded flatly. "But I've known him for, what, three weeks? It's way too early to see him like that."

Skye giggled again.

"Nick doesn't think so, he watches every meteor shower he can," she added. "And last time he asked a girl to watch one with him, they ended up dating."

"So? Once isn't a pattern," Judy returned shortly. "Why do you want me to like him so much, anyway? _You're_ the one who said I shouldn't trust him!"

Skye sat back.

"It's not just me, the guys have all said he never stops talking about you. And Jack was right," she went on. "I haven't talked to Nick in years, he's nothing like I thought he'd turned into."

"Where'd you hear all that crap about him, anyway?"

She sighed.

"Let me spell it out," she ticked them off on her fingers. "He's shy, sexy, crazy smart and his family's one of the richest on the coast, of course there's all kinds of rumors about them."

Judy groaned again, but then her expression changed, and she leaned to the side.

"What's going on there?"

Skye looked over her shoulder, then snickered, seeing a short, slender margay leaning against the counter like she was trying to flirt with the cashier. Going by the grouchy old cheetah's frown, it wasn't working,

"Come on, you know you still owe me for that little favor I did," she said wispily. The bigger cat rolled his eyes.

"And you still owe me for the last time you were here," he returned irritably. "Now, either pay up or get out!"

She huffed, then stepped back, fixing her bunched top as she turned away from him. Her hazel eyes glinted when she saw them, her whitened teeth flashing in a smile.

"Should've known you'd show up here eventually," she almost skipped to their table. "How's it going, Skye?"

Skye laughed.

"Better than it seems to be for you," she said. "You know that guy won't budge."

"Ugh, tell me about it," she glanced over Skye's long yellow skirt and green cowl neck sweater, then pouted. "Oh, don't tell me I missed vintage shopping _again_!"

Skye shook her head.

"My aunt sent me two huge boxes of her old stuff, you can come over later and see if anything fits," she turned back to Judy. "Oh, Judy, this is Chad's cousin, Heather, head cheerleader and the only girl more peppy than me."

"No matter how long it took you to admit that," Heather giggled, then her face soured slightly. "I heard Stephanie's been giving you a lot of crap since you started at school, I don't know how she hasn't been expelled already."

She went and grabbed a chair from an empty table, then sat down with them.

"It hasn't gotten too bad yet, has it?"

Judy sighed.

"I've had to deal with mammals like her before, I almost forget she exists sometimes," she rested her face in her hands. "What's her problem, anyway?"

Heather shrugged.

"No one really knows, she just started acting crazy for some reason. We all thought she was dealing with stuff," she added. "But it's kept getting worse, so we're not sure what to think anymore."

She bit her lip.

"I actually overheard her talking about how she had some kind of dirt on you, and that she was going to make sure the whole school knew about it before Friday."

"She's just trying to scare me," Judy took a long sip of her tea, a damp line showing below her nose. "She's just mad because I won't 'stay in my place', or whatever she wants me to do."

Skye and Heather glanced at each other.

"You sure that's all it is?" Skye asked. "Because when she says she has dirt on someone, she means it."

Heather shuddered, but didn't say anything. Judy scoffed.

"She can dig up whatever she wants on me," she said confidently. "I'm not going to let her get to me."

Skye smiled nervously.

"Well, as long as you're sure," she pushed back from the table and got to her feet. "You done with your tea? I'll go toss this stuff, then we can go to my house and look through those boxes."

She didn't miss the fear that flashed through Judy's eyes, as hard as she was clearly trying to hide it.

"Yeah," she said distractedly. "Kara's not coming back for a while, and I learned a long time ago how to make her think I still follow her damn rules, so I can do whatever I want until then."

Skye was still unsure, but grabbed their dishes and set them in the tray by the counter. Judy had barely said anything about her life outside of school, and nothing about where she'd lived before; she also couldn't stop thinking about the other incidents Stephanie had already caused, and worried what might be next.

 _I don't think I could put anything past her at this point,_ she thought, straightening her sweater before catching up with her friends. _I don't even want to know how far she'll go this time…_

* * *

Judy couldn't believe what she was looking at. Taped to the purple metal door of her locker, and every other one in the hallway, was a photoshopped mugshot of her, ' _I'm a whore and proud of it'_ glittering underneath in neat gray cursive. The had agreed to meet at school early to get some studying done, and a group of boys from various teams had cornered her in the front lot, asking if she'd like to take turns blowing them in the locker room. A few girls had hassled her at the doors, that they knew she'd been screwing their boyfriends, and that she'd better not have herpes.

At least now, she understood why.

"You've got to be kidding me…" she ripped the page off. Jack stopped behind her, looking at it over her shoulder.

"Wow…" he went to his locker, two up from hers. "What the hell is wrong with her?"

Judy groaned in mortification, slumping against hers with her face in her hands.

"These are all over the school by now," she muttered, raking her claws through her headfur. "What am I going to do?"

"You can't let it get to you," he came back and gripped her shoulder. "That's what she wants."

"That doesn't help me get rid of these things," she crushed it in her fist. "Why does she keep doing this to me?"

"She's crazy, we all know that," he glanced at the wad of paper. "We could probably get her for harassment for this."

She shook her head, grinding the heel of her palm into her eye.

"No, I have to deal with this myself," she threw her hand down. "There's no telling what Stephanie would do if I called the cops on her."

"Hey, guys!"

Skye ran up to them, shoving a wrinkled sheet of paper in their faces. Judy groaned again.

"Where'd you find that?"

"The student parking lot," she said worriedly. "They're on every car out there!"

Judy gawked at her. How many had Stephanie made?

"They're all over the track and fields, too," Chad came around the corner behind her. "Heather's got the cheer squad tearing them down now, and I'm going to help Lance get them out of the lot."

Judy crushed the page into a smaller ball.

"This isn't even close to what happened in the city," she said, not missing the distress that flashed across Jack's face. "I don't know why I'm bothering to freak out about it, she's just some bitch throwing a fit."

Skye smiled.

"Jack and I can help clean up the ones in here," she said. "I promise, there won't be any trace of them by lunch."

Judy just looked at her; so much for feeling confident.

"But how do we know she's not putting them all over town now or something? What if she's—?"

"Hey, Judy, relax," Jack took her shoulder again. "We're all here with you, we'll get it done."

She looked around at them, wishing she could smother the doubt trying to worm its way into her gut. It wouldn't be the first time someone had made a promise they couldn't keep. She sighed, then put on a bright smile.

"You guys are the best," she went across the hall, shoving the ruined paper in a recycling bin. "You and Skye take care of this end of the school, I'll start in the computer lab."

Jack laughed, throwing up a goofy salute,

"You got it, captain!"

* * *

 _Red petals were scattered across the pale marble floor, the elegant stone vases set in each corner overflowing with fresh cut roses. The large room was softly lit by a thousand candles, quiet music drifting from hidden speakers, blending with the subdued chatter of the other guests, sparkling and shining in their jewelry and silk. Sheathed in glimmering white, Judy stood by herself on a wide, grand balcony, scarlet velvet drapes drawn against the chilled air drifting up from the magnificent, moonlit garden below. She breathed the perfume in deeply, gasping when a warm hand fell gently on her waist._

 _"You'll catch a cold out here," Nick's voice behind her, deep and soothing as ever. He wrapped an arm around her, her face burning when he tilted it to meet his._

 _"It's not that bad," she whispered, feeling her blush deepen as his hand moved to cup her cheek._

 _"If you're not cold," he started quietly, a small smirk on his lips. "Why are you shivering?"_

 _She hadn't noticed until then, how her fingers and toes had gone numb, her shoulders starting to shake._

 _"Maybe it is a little chilly," she moved closer to him, his heart thrumming strongly against her cheek as she laid her head on his chest. "I've been waiting for you."_

 _He smiled, leaning slowly closer._

 _"You could've waited inside—"_

"Judy!"

She jumped. Skye had her shoulder, giving her an annoyed look. They were standing at the free samples table by the door of a boutique, Judy still holding the perfume that had made her space out.

"About time you came back to Earth," Skye went on. "I've been calling your name for five minutes!"

"I was in the middle of a daydream," Judy pouted, putting the bottle down. "And it was just getting to the good part!"

Skye shook her head, then pulled her toward a set of racks filled with a rainbow of formal dresses.

"You can daydream later," she started looking through one. "But right now, you need to find something, we have to meet the guys at the food court soon!"

Judy rolled her eyes, but started scanning a rack for mammals her size, stopping on a shimmering off-white one, a fitted halter flowing seamlessly into an A-line skirt that skimmed the floor. Skye squealed, grabbing her arm again.

"Oh, it's perfect! Nick's going to die when he sees you in it!"

Judy froze.

"W-Who said I wanted him to see me?"

Skye scoffed.

"You had a dream where he kissed you," she reminded her of the conversation they'd had on their way to the mall. At one story and twenty shops, it was the smallest one Judy had ever seen. "So _of course_ you have to like him!"

Judy looked back down at the dress, smoothing the skirt against her tight. She'd barely noticed when her feelings toward him had started to change, despite her best efforts, and now all she could do was hope that whatever came of it wouldn't end the way Andy had. That day had been one of the worst of her life, and still gave her nightmares.

 _Andy…_ she couldn't hold back a sniffle. _I'm so sorry!_

"Judy?" Skye stopped browsing, concern in her eyes. Judy swiped at hers, pushing the old pain to the back of her mind.

"Sorry, allergies," she flashed a weak smile; it wasn't a total lie. "Uh, what were you saying?"

Skye flashed her own unsure smile.

"I just asked if you really liked Nick or not."

"Oh, right," she went to a mirrored pillar, holding the dress in front of her. "I guess I do, but how do I know he likes me?"

Skye smirked.

"Um, because we've all told you he does? And he still wants you to watch the meteor shower with him tonight."

Judy cringed.

"I almost forgot about it," she folded the dress over her arm. "I'm not even sure I'll be able to go. Kara came back early and she's—"

"Always drunk out of her mind, from what you say," Skye crossed her arms. "So just sneak out after she's asleep or something?"

She grabbed her phone from her pocket and tapped out a text.

"Now let's go pay for these things, the guys are starting to wonder where we are!"

* * *

Jack waved to them from the large table in the corner, and Skye hurried to snatch the seat next to him. Judy was surprised to see Nick on the other side of the bench when she slid in across from them, bent over a sketchbook; he was left-handed, like her father. She looked away when he glanced up, hoping he hadn't noticed her staring at him.

"Something wrong?"

She scratched the side of her neck.

"I just didn't think you'd be here," she hated how nervous she sounded. "You don't seem like the mall type."

"I'm not," he went back to his sketching. "But Jack can be pretty persuasive."

She giggled.

"That's true," she glanced at Jack, who flashed a sneaky smile. "What're you drawing?"

"Something for history," Nick spun the book toward her. It was a half-finished battlefield, smoking and corpse-strewn, a jagged, snow-capped mountain range looming in the background.

"This is awesome," she turned it back. "I can barely draw stick figures without messing up."

It wasn't too far from the truth. He chuckled, closed the book and tucked it in the shoulder bag next to him.

"You still up for tonight?"

"Oh, um," why was it so hard to talk all of a sudden? "Y-Yeah, sure."

His smile faded when Chad sat down next to her, wearing a wide, cocky smile that showed off his fake tooth.

"Hey there, baby," he said mockingly. She scoffed. The coyote was usually fun to be around, until some old rivalry he had with Nick decided to rear its ugly head, and it looked like this was one of those times. At least he wasn't using that bad fake accent.

"How much longer will I have to deal with you?"

"Until we hit college," he put an arm around her. "Because you're _my_ girl, now."

"I'm nobody's girl," she pushed against him. "Let go of me!"

He chuckled and pulled her closer, then looked at Nick, as though daring him to say something. Nick rolled his eyes and snatched his bag.

"Whatever," he spat quietly. Jack and Skye stood to let him out, both of them glaring at Chad as they sat back down. He'd let go of Judy the second Nick had turned his back.

"What the hell was that about?" Jack demanded. Chad smirked, leaning back with his hands behind his head.

"Just letting Nick know he can't get everything he wants."

"What are you talking about?" Skye snapped. He put his arm around Judy again.

"He wants the new girl," he grinned smugly. "But I just beat him to it."

"Ugh!" Judy jammed her elbow in his side, then shoved him off the bench and slid out, stepping on his hand when she stood up. "You freaking dirtbag!"

She snatched her shopping bag, storming off before he'd gotten back to his feet. She wanted to go and find Nick, but wasn't sure how he'd react after that little scene. He was more sensitive than he let on, and she had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate being confronted by her about it.

 _I'll see him tonight, anyway,_ she reminded herself, knowing Skye had been right about Kara's wine habit. It was getting to the point where she wondered if the jill were ever sober at all, not that she cared. Every hour Kara spent passed out on the couch or having drunk sex with some random guy was an hour Judy didn't have to worry about a beating for not following the rules. _I could probably move out right now and she wouldn't notice!_

Which sounded just fine to her.

* * *

Nick zipped his coveralls, taking longer than usual to fold his clothes and stash them in his locker. Uncle Luca had called after he'd left the mall, saying they needed an extra set of hands at the garage.

 _When don't they,_ he asked himself, then sighed. _But not like it's the first time I've had to come in on a day off._

It had annoyed him before, but the more hours he put in, the bigger his paycheck, and that was just fine with him. He unclasped the gold chain around his neck, staring at the cross charm Lance had given him before shoving the necklace in the pocket of his jeans. He'd followed one of his other uncles and converted from Judaism when he was fourteen, but still hadn't told the rest of the family. He knew many of them wouldn't care, but it was the ones who'd think he was betraying their history that had him worried. He growled softly in frustration and slammed his locker shut.

 _They betrayed_ me _first…_

He went out to the main garage, where the usual line of classic cars, owned by collectors up and down the coast, sat unattended. Several of his cousins were milling around the wide open door of his uncle's office, looking bored to death as the graying red tod finished another of his infamous speeches.

"You guys are here to work," Zio Luca spat. He was short and stocky, with piercing dark brown eyes; his unusually deep voice resonated throughout the long, tall room. "I'm not paying you to waste my time!"

"Then quit wasting ours with your dumb speeches!" Enzo shouted, the group breaking into laughter. The cinnamon tod had to be one of the biggest clowns Nick had ever known.

"And it's not like you pay us that much, anyway!" Johnny, a golden cross, added, before leaning over to spit his gum in the trash. Luca pinched the bridge of his muzzle, then yelled at them to get back to work.

"Why can't I get through to them?" he muttered. " _Dev'esserci_ qualcosa _che possa funzionare…_ "

"Like _not_ raising us with such thick heads?" Nick stopped next to him. Luca snorted.

"You're as smart as the rest of them," he crossed his thick arms. "But at least you get the job done."

He sighed, his wide shoulders slumping.

"God bless Romalo's soul," he went on quietly. Romalo had been Nick's father, oldest of the eight Wilde boys, Luca the third oldest. "He didn't get to do much with you, but he did it well."

Nick didn't bother correcting him, it was better just to let him believe what he wanted, and it was easier than trying to explain everything.

"Whoever that driver was," his uncle went on. "They shouldn't have been allowed to walk away…"

Nick's fist tightened at his side, and he shoved it in his pocket.

"There wasn't anything they could do," he said stiffly. "And there's no changing it now."

Luca shook his head.

"Life's a cruel mistress," he murmured, still lost in the past when Nick walked away.

* * *

Nick straightened, glancing around the garage. He thought he'd heard his name being called, going back to the engine when no one acknowledged him. He'd bought the old convertible off a senior after getting his license, and he couldn't believe it was still in one piece.

 _That guy had no idea what he was going!_

Someone tapped his shoulder, laughing when he banged his head on the raised, dented hood. He turned to glare at a slim silver fox with pale green eyes, her long headfur dyed bright red.

"What do you want, Chelsea?" he pulled off his cap and wiped his forehead, then tugged it back on. He only had two female cousins, and she and Nicole had spent their whole childhoods taking advantage of it. She laughed again.

"Are you ever going to be done with this junk pile?"

She put a hand on the windshield, more cracks than glass, grimacing at the swirled neon pink and slime green seat covers, about the only part of the car left undamaged. Nick rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the stiffness from being bent over so long. Luca insisted on keeping things 'like they'd been in his day', which meant no lifts in the floor or computers to help keep track of things. That was where Chelsea came in.

"I just want to get it running," he said. "No big deal."

She giggled.

"Oh, I think it _is_ a big deal," she patted his cheek, going on in that annoying little singsong voice of hers. "My baby cousin's in love!"

He scowled, swiping her hand away.

"I am not!"

She stepped back, still smiling.

"You think I haven't noticed how you've been acting lately?" she clasped her hands, sounding like a gushing mother. "Little Nicky has a crush!"

He cringed at the old nickname, a hot blush flaring in his ears.

"No one's called me that since I was three," he reminded her. "And I do not!"

Smirking, she walked past him, deftly swiping his phone from his pocket. The lock screen had a picture of a violet-eyed bunny with a shy smile, her ears tossed demurely over her shoulder.

"I saw you mooning over this earlier," she tapped the corner against her chin. "Why would a girl's picture be on here if you didn't like her?"

He bit his lip. Lance had asked to borrow his phone the day before, and hadn't returned it until that morning. He hadn't noticed the change in his wallpapers until Luca had called, when he'd seen they'd both been replaced with pictures of Judy. Chelsea waved it toward their other cousins, stepping just out of his reach.

"Better spit it out, Nicky," she started. "Or everyone will find out about your little girlfriend!"

He groaned.

"All right, all right, fine," he dragged a hand down his face. "Her name's Judy, we met at school, but we didn't really start talking until we realized we both liked hanging in the clearing behind our street."

" _And_?" she prompted, almost mockingly. "Go on!"

"And…that's it," he sighed. She stared at him, bringing her arm back to her side. He hadn't been able to bring himself to make a move yet, with how his last relationship had ended. Even before then, emotions had been tricky terrain for him, especially toward girls. She blew out a breath, leaving his phone on the closest toolbox.

"I saw what Chad pulled in the food court this morning," she said. She went to the mall every weekend, whether she needed to shop or not. "Why are you two friends again?"

He rolled his eyes.

"I don't really know sometimes," he went back to work on the engine, having his hands busy always helped him focus. He and Chad had butted heads since they'd met, and it had just gotten worse once Judy had shown up. Chelsea thought a moment, twirling a lock of headfur with her finger.

"You know, _nonna's_ charity thing is in a few weeks, you could always try asking Judy to that."

He winced, remembering the last time he'd brought a girl with him, the grilling their grandmother had given her. Would the same thing happen if he brought Judy? Would she even say yes if he asked?

He figured there was only one way to find out.

* * *

 _There are two known species of golden cat:_ _African and Asian. I made Eric an Asian one, since I thought they were prettier than the African species. That one really just looks like a caracal with no ear tufts and a slightly shorter tail._

 _Dev'esserci_ qualcosa _che possa funzionare_ _\- There has to be_ something _that would work..._


	6. Chapter 6

Judy peeked in Kara's room, sighing silently in relief when she saw the jill sprawled gracelessly across her king-sized bed. She was alone for once, lightly snoring with an empty wine bottle lying on the floor by her limp hand.

 _At least I won't have to worry about her coming after me tomorrow._

She tiptoed downstairs and slipped out the back door, digging her phone from her pocket; she'd made sure it was fully charged when she'd gotten home. She turned on the flashlight when she reached the tree line, glancing back one last time to make sure Kara wasn't watching from her window, then took off down the trail.

Nick was already in the clearing when she got there, lounging on a mattress pulled into the bed of his old white pick-up truck. A battery-powered lantern sat on top of the cab, bathing him in a soft, inviting light.

"You're here early," she shut off her phone and put it back in her pocket. He stretched, putting his arms behind his head.

"Wanted to be set up when you got here," he looked past her, toward their street, the tops of the houses lost behind the trees. "She asleep?"

"Out cold," she climbed into the truck bed, looking up to see the stars winking at them in a dark, moonless sky. "What time is it supposed to happen again?"

She settled back on her own pillow, reaching into the little cooler he'd set between them. It was an unusually warm night for that time of year, the silence comforting in a way nothing else could be. An owl sailed down over the pond, catching a fish in its sharp talons before landing on a high branch to eat.

"I never lived in a small town before," Judy said after a while. "It's so different from the city."

He turned his head toward her.

"How are you liking it?"

She shrugged.

"It took some getting used to, but I think I like it better," her small grin wilted. "Im's just worried someone will find out what happened…"

He looked at her quizzically.

"You mean with your family?"

She shook her head, then sat back up.

"Please don't make me talk about it…"

"Sorry."

She felt his eyes on her as she toyed with her water bottle, then the light, faux leather band tied around her wrist. It was a beautiful piece, expertly carved with a detailed scene of a waterfall and river. She wore it almost every day, usually along with the emerald ring on her right hand. It amazed her that she'd been able to keep them from Kara for so long.

"Was that jewelry your mom's?" he asked curiously. She looked at her finger.

"I hid some of her stuff after she died," she explained. "Since I had a feeling Dad wouldn't keep it, and I did the same with the rest of my family, too."

He sat up.

"Where is it?"

"Most of it's with a friend, she promised to send it when I told her it was safe."

"You mean until you're away from Kara?" he questioned. "How long do you think that'll be?"

Her shoulders slumped, her chin hitting her chest.

"Who knows?"

She froze when he touched her cheek, brushing her limp ear behind her back.

"I know we really just met," he said softly. "But I want you to know that I'm here for you, no matter what."

She smiled slightly.

"Thanks, Nick, that means a lot."

A trail of fire streaked across the sky overhead, reflecting in his eyes. She swallowed.

I've never known someone with such green eyes…"

The quiet words slipped out before she could stop them. He didn't seem to hear, though, turning to the heavens as more meteors began to fly past. She watched in awe as they gradually increased, until the stars were all but lost to the blazing brilliance. After an impossibly long time, the shower tapered off, leaving the diamond-studded sky.

"I've never seen anything like that," she lowered her head, wincing at the crick in her neck. "You don't really see the stars in Zootopia."

He smiled, still staring at the sky.

"Mammals in cities don't know what they're missing," he sighed contentedly, lying back down. She stretched out on her side, tucking her hand under her pillow.

"Some mammals like living in places that are lit up," she countered. "They feel safe."

"Yeah," he started deeply. "But no matter how bright a place is, there's always a dark alley to get dragged into."

As depressing as that was, she guessed she couldn't argue with it. She looked back to the sky, watching a few straggling meteors pass overhead.

"What's this place like?" she realized she'd never asked. He looked thoughtful, absently fingering the chain peeking out from his collar. He did that a lot, now that she noticed.

"Mammals don't usually lock their doors," he said after a while. "And the last break-in was some drunk guy who fell through his own window."

They laughed.

"Sounds like it's usually pretty safe," she struggled with her next question. The story had been plastered everywhere since she'd moved there, and likely even before, a killer with a taste for older, usually wealthy males. She shuddered, remembering the articles that had described just a few ways those victims had died. "But are we really safe out here, with that psycho running around?"

He turned toward her, his fingers warm and strong when he took her hand.

"He wouldn't get within fifty feet of you," the fierce protectiveness in the words startled her, he barely knew her!

"T-Thank you," she choked on the soft words. His grip relaxed, but he didn't pull away.

"I'm not the only one who feels that way," he reminded her. "We've all got your back, Judy."

She loved the way he said her name; she bit the inside of her cheek as she turned away, not wanting anyone else to see her cry.

 _I just wish it was easier for me to believe that…_

* * *

Judy pushed at her pillow, trying to get comfortable again. It had been so soft last night, and now it felt almost like lying on a rock. A warm, breathing rock.

 _What is this?_

She rubbed her eyes, squinting against the sunlight pouring into the clearing, her cheeks burning when she realized she was curled up against Nick's side, her head nestled on his shoulder. His arm was draped loosely around her, the other behind his head. He was still asleep, his eyes squeezed shut, his jaw clenched. Whatever he was dreaming about, it was intense. Careful not to wake him, she pulled away, lying as far from him as she could. His shirt had ridden up, a fresh scab visible in his short fur. She winced.

 _Wonder what he did to get_ that…

He shifted, groaned softly, then sat up, looking around while he fixed his shirt.

"Guess we overslept," he said absently, rubbing his stomach.

"Looks like it," she sat against the cab, watching as he fished something from the pocket of his faded jeans. "Wait, you're deaf?"

"Just in my left ear," his fingers closed tightly around a hearing aid. "Not sure if I was born with it, or if something happened when I was little."

She looked at him.

"What could've happened?"

He shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it," he put it in, then vaulted over the side of the truck bed, landing silently in the grass. His mussed russet and cream fur suited him, adding a certain danger to his firm profile. She swallowed.

"N-Nick, I…" she hated how breathy she sounded. What was wrong with her? "T-Thanks for last night, it was great."

He didn't answer, his body suddenly tense as he glared at something past the tree line. She crawled to the open tailgate, watching over his shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

He blinked, then shook his head.

"Nothing," he said quickly. "Thought I saw something."

"Okay…" she let her legs dangle over the edge. "I-I should get going soon, I have to be home before Kara wakes up."

She dropped to the ground, about to leave when he grabbed her arm.

"How about I walk you home?" he was still staring at that random point in the distance. His fingers stiffened, his claws digging in slightly. If whatever was out there made him this nervous, then it couldn't be good.

"Um, o-okay."

"Great," he let go of her arm, taking a firm grip on her hand. "Come on, let's get going."

Judy allowed herself to be pulled along, looking behind them. Just before the clearing vanished behind the first bend in the path, she was sure she'd seen something glimmer in the far trees. She gulped, turning back and doing her best to match his long, fast stride.

 _Was someone really watching us?_

* * *

 _Yeah, go on, run while you can._

He brought down the scope, watching the teens flee. He wasn't sure why the boss made him do reconnaissance, since every target sent his way ended up dead. What the hell could they be using the information for?

 _You're lucky it was just the scope this time, you little coward._

He tucked it back in the long case lying next to him, running a hand fondly along the black plastic top after he closed it. The rifle was as much a part of him as his bones and blood; he itched to go after those two, to pull the trigger and just be done with it. But that would mean going against orders, which could just as easily send a bullet tearing through his own brain.

 _Why does the boss care so much about this kid?_

For as long as he could remember, there's been an obsession with that boy; was it something to do with his family, the mammals who'd raised him? Did the old male have some other plan in mind that he hadn't told the team about? He scoffed.

 _Wouldn't be the first time._

He got to his feet, grabbing the case and slinging the strap over his shoulder. It was hard to keep quiet as he followed them, the carpet of leaves on the forest floor left crunchy and dry from the days without rain. He still wondered why he'd been ordered to follow them in the first place; the girl certainly wasn't a threat, and boy seemed clueless as to what his family was really involved with. Was this supposed to make sure he never found out?

He stopped when he heard them again, ducking behind a thick oak trunk. They were sitting on the back steps of the girl's house, talking in lowered voices, something about hoping to surpass some goal, or a concert. The girl gave a small cheer, covering her mouth when she hiccuped. The boy laughed, going stiff when she quickly kissed his cheek.

 _Well, what do we have here?_

"Thanks again for last night, Nick," she stood and hurried inside, quickly easing the door shut behind her. He got up and took a few steps into the yard, then turned to stare at the house, no different from any other two-story ones on the street. The girl appeared in an upstairs window, smiled and waved at him. He waved back until she disappeared again, his hand drifting to his cheek as he turned away. The blissful, yet frightened look on his face was everything he had to know.

 _This might just be more fun than I thought…_

* * *

Nick glanced at Judy's window again, then took off toward the forest, his heart jumping in his throat as his fingers kept straying to that spot on his cheek.

 _That didn't just happen ,_ he thought frantically. _I-It couldn't have!_

He'd told himself he was making a mistake when he'd asked her to watch the meteor shower, but he hadn't let it stop him, thinking it would finally allow him to let the past go, to stop letting fear control him. Instead, it had only made things worse, the memories tearing at him like they had for weeks after the accident.

 _I don't want that to happen again!_

Almost everyone had told him it wasn't his fault, but the reassurances had just made the pain worse. He hadn't paid enough attention to Emily, hadn't treated her as well as he should have. She hadn't deserved what had happened, he should've been the one who fell!

 _I don't think I'll ever forget that…_

He ducked under a low branch, realizing he'd started to veer off the path. He'd walked the way so many times, often with his head in the clouds, and he still couldn't make it without almost getting lost.

A tall figure flashed out of view across the clearing, and he felt his gut tighten. Someone _had_ been watching them, just as he'd thought. The shadow vanished before he could take a second glance, leaving him with so many questions. Who had they been? Why didn't they want to be seen? Why had they been watching him and Judy in the first place?

 _Could it have something to do with—_

He shook his head. That had been his grandfather's mistake, it had nothing to do with him. Sure, he'd overheard a few things when he was little, but nothing that would've resulted in that kind of order. He barely remembered any of it!

 _But maybe they weren't even watching us…_

He hadn't run into many mammals around the clearing, it was part of why he liked it so much, but that didn't mean there was never anyone else out there. That was probably all it had been, some random hiker who'd happened to come across them, but even as he thought it, there was something about it that didn't sit right with him. If it had just been a hiker, why had they gone out of their way to keep hidden like that, why hadn't they tried to come up and say something?

 _I've got a_ bad _feeling about this._

He hurried the last few yards to his truck, climbed in and locked the doors. He shivered, feeling that a pair of eyes were glued to every move; swallowing hard, he fumbled the keychain from his pocket, his fingers shaking a bit as he tried to find the right one. He jammed it in the ignition and turned, but the engine just sputtered weakly, then went dead. He groaned, knocking his forehead against the steering wheel.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me!"

* * *

Judy pressed her back against the kitchen door, then sunk to the checkered tile, her hands jammed against her lips. Her face was burning, her heart ready to leap from her chest. She hadn't just done that, she hadn't just kissed Nick Wilde.

 _I-It was just his cheek,_ she said to herself, still able to smell the faint traces of his cologne, mixed so tantalizingly with his natural musk. _Why am I freaking out so much?!_

It was Andy, of course, it was always Andy. She'd tried so hard to forget what had happened, had done everything she could to force the memories out of her head. Nothing had worked, not even three months in a coma.

 _That wasn't my fault,_ she ground the heels of her palms into her eyes. All she'd done was follow through on a bad idea, she'd had no control over how things had gone! _Why won't it leave me alone?!_

She pushed back the tears, getting slowly to her feet. The house was silent, but she still moved as carefully as she could to her room, avoiding the spots that creaked on the stairs. Kara's snoring was faintly audible as she sneaked past the master bedroom, allowing a small sigh of relief when she got to her own.

She locked the door before heading across to the window, smiling and waving when she saw Nick in the yard. He waved back, turning away when she did, as she went to fall back on her small wisps of spice floated up; had he put it on especially for last night?

 _Maybe,_ she stared at the ceiling, smiling at the pictures she'd stuck up there. They'd been packed away in the box she'd hidden in their tiny backyard shed, and she was amazed it hadn't burned down, too. They captured some of the last happy memories her family had shared: their trip to Neighagra Falls for Michael's twelfth birthday, their mom with the triplets on their first day of preschool. But her favorite picture was one she'd snapped on Christmas, minutes after tearing the wrapping paper off her new digital camera.

Her parents were sitting on the couch, her father flashing that burning smile as he held a fake sprig of mistletoe over her mother's head. Her mother was laughing, her ears as red as her Santa-sprinkled pajamas. They'd kissed, then had disappeared in their bedroom for the rest of the morning. She wished she'd known it would be one of the last times they'd all be together.

The photos blurred as she let her eyes fill with angry, bitter tears. It was Kara's fault everything had changed; life would still be almost perfect if her father hadn't met that selfish bitch. The only downside would've been not having Ty, Andy and Miranda by her side as they navigated the maze of high school.

She grabbed her phone from her pocket and turned it on; she'd sent Miranda a series of texts about the island every other Sunday, just as they'd agreed when she was still in the hospital. Miranda had stopped responding after the first two months, saying she was getting her phone taken away until she got her grades up. After reading some of the things she'd sent then, Judy couldn't blame her for wanting to break the promise, but had she really needed to lie about it?

 _She probably thought I couldn't handle the truth._

That would've been true a few weeks ago, but things had started looking up after she'd spilled the story to Nick, when she'd realized she didn't have to keep it all locked up inside. She'd send the texts one more time, she decided, and if Miranda still didn't answer, then that would be the end of it.

She recapped everything that had happened the last two weeks, ending it with watching the meteor shower the night before. A blush bloomed in her ears when she remembered how she'd woken up, the quick peck she's given Nick out of impulse before running inside like a coward. The last thing she sent was a picture she'd managed to take of him, when he'd first pulled off his shirt to clean it after falling in the mud.

 _If anything will make Miranda text back,_ she thought. _That will._

She set her phone on the nightstand, realizing tears were still pooling on her pillow, and that her eyes were starting to sting. She swiped halfheartedly at them, wishing for once that they wouldn't stop. It was such a relief to set them loose, the tension draining from her body with each drop. It was also the only time she could sleep without remembering her dreams, a state she longed for most nights.

 _I still wish things could go back to the way they were,_ she thought, closing her eyes to ease the sting. _But at the same time, I don't…_

She groaned, rolling over and burying her face in her wet pillow.

"Ugh, could this _get_ any more confusing?"

* * *

Chad balled up his taco wrapper, chuckling.

"Hey, guys, check this out."

He tossed it over his shoulder, his smile growing at a disgusted shout. It had landed in Alex's lap, the brown-eyed badger and the rest of her small table glaring hatefully at him. They were about the only ones who still took Stephanie seriously, most of the time. He laughed, most of the others joining in. Except one.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jack noted Judy's silence. She was staring blankly at her tray, slowly stirring her lumpy mashed potatoes with her white plastic fork. "You're usually the loudest when we screw with them."

"Hm?" she looked up, her eyes glazed like she was half asleep. She visibly forced herself to swallow a small bite. "I was just thinking about a dream I had last night."

Chad got up to throw the rest of the trash away, then took the empty seat on her other side.

"You mean the one I overheard you and Skye talking about this morning?"

She nodded, taking another tiny forkful.

"Nick was in it," she started quietly. "And I'm pretty sure Stephanie was, too."

 _Nick and Judy were on the wide dirt path next to the school, immersed in a pleasant conversation. They whirled when an engine roared behind them, a powder blur Porsche convertible skidding to a stop inches from where they stood. He stepped between Judy and the girl who climbed silently from the driver's seat, her face hidden by the abnormally thick shadows of the trees that towered overhead._

 _"You made a mistake when you went against me," her voice burned with anger, with hatred. She brought her hand out from behind her, her fingers clasped tightly on the grip of an old pistol splashed with rust. Nick moved further in front of Judy, meeting the other girl's glare with his own._

 _"You'll have to go through me first," he snapped, a growl thick in his voice. Judy's blood froze when she giggled manically._

 _"Thanks for making it easy for me, sweetheart," she raised her hand and pulled the trigger. Judy hadn't thought it fired until Nick lurched as the round hit him, tearing a ragged, bloody hole in his shirt. He pressed his hands to the wound; Judy screamed as another bullet slammed into his thigh._

 _"Stop it!" she cried, heaving to help him to the ground. The tears running down her face began to mix with the blood leaking from his lips. "You're killing him!"_

 _The other girl laughed again, aiming once more at his shuddering chest._

 _"Don't worry, I planned to."_

 _The blast echoed this time; Judy held his head in her lap as the last of the light faded from his eyes. She leaned down so her forehead brushed his, her tears soaking his warm, still face. The murderess just stood there and watched, tapping the smoking muzzle slowly against her cheek._

 _"I was going to kill you, too," she started carelessly, her lips curled in a smirk. "But I think I'll let you live. It's much fun watching you suffer."_

 _She faded away, her crazed laughter dancing mockingly on the wind as the sun faded behind heavy gray clouds._

"It was just a dream," Lance said when she'd finished. He'd never been the best when it came to comforting mammals. "It's nothing to worry about."

"He's right, Judy," Heather stopped at their table. "I know it's hard sometimes, but you can't let that stuff get to you."

"I know that look," Chad told her, straightening in his seat. "What's going on?"

Heather ran her claws through her headfur.

"I'm surprised you haven't heard yet," she started. "But Stephanie's spent most of the day bragging about how she got an email from Nick, that he was tired of 'the little nobody' that's been trailing him everywhere. Give you one guess who she means."

She leaned closer, her frosted pink lips in a worried frown.

"Most of us don't even listen to her anymore," she told Judy. "But I thought you'd want to hear it before she tried to waste your time with it."

Judy nodded faintly, got up and dumped the rest of her lunch in the trash. That dream had been stuck in her head all morning, her stomach tied in knots. It didn't help that dealing with Stephanie's crap always made her lose her appetite.

 _Why_ do _I still let it get to me?_

She went to the hallway, debating whether to head right out the front doors and spend the rest of the day hiding from the world in the clearing.

"It's all that little slut's fault!" Stephanie yelled from inside a classroom. Judy stopped by the door, her morbid curiosity getting the best of her. "She took you away from me!"

Nick groaned, sounding fed up.

"Look, I don't know what I did to make you think I like you, but I don't, I never did," he added vehemently. "Your mom pays me to tutor you, and I just quit."

Stephanie gasped, Judy ducking back when the door flew open; the red panda ran out, sobbing into her hands. Nick stopped in the doorway, watching as she fled outside, then shook his head.

"She's nuts," he muttered. Judy chuckled.

"I think the whole town knows that by now."

"No kidding," he turned to her. "What's going on?"

She shrugged.

"Heather just told me that Stephanie's been bragging about an email she got from you," she rolled her eyes. "But I figured she was just blowing hot air again."

He laughed, leaning against the jamb.

"I know," he smiled at her. "That's one of the things I like about you."

She giggled.

"What else do you like about me?"

He actually blushed.

"Well, pretty much everything," he put a hand on her waist. "And you know that party Skye's been going on about?"

She smoothed her ear over her shoulder.

"The charity thing your grandma throws every year?" she smiled at him. "What about it?"

He flashed that smart smirk of his.

"Would you like to go with me?"

"Hmm," she tapped her chin, pretending to think about it. "I'll have to check my calendar, but I think I can make it."

He chuckled again.

"Great," he took his hand away, then brushed her cheek. "So I'll see you next Saturday, then."

* * *

Stephanie didn't bother to muffle her sobbing. She'd gone straight out the doors after her fight with Nick, following the front walk to the short dirt path next to the school. A circle of painted stones sat at the end under a small canopy, each one honoring a student who'd died, going back to the 1940s. As if that stupid wall in the library wasn't enough for them.

She fell to her knees in front of them, scanning the names and dates without really seeing them. She'd been drawn to this place since her freshman year, though she'd never been sure why. None of these mammals mattered now, most not even when they'd been alive. It was all just a big waste of time, trying to honor mammals who wouldn't even know if they'd been forgotten.

She wiped her eyes, running her fingers over the one by her knee. Each stone was the size of a wolf's fists put together, some smoother or more rough than others, she guessed depending on how the mammal had been in life. This one was smooth, painted to look like part of a coral reef, the bright colors and crisp, thin black lines blurring through her tears.

 _'For Jonathan Priceton,'_ she could barely make the words out, written in tiny, perfect black cursive. _'A short, shining life with an ever-lasting presence, 1983-1997'._ She'd heard about him from one of her old tutors; he'd been the late vice principal's youngest son, and had died instantly when his family's car had been T-boned. But why was she wasting time thinking about him?

 _I don't care about these mammals,_ she shook her head. The only one she did care about was Nick, and she'd come close to snagging him more than once, only for some worthless bitch to swoop in and ruin everything. Not that it had taken long to make those girls change their minds.

Her claws dragged through the damp, freezing soil as her fists clenched, fresh tears welling in her burning eyes.

 _It's going to be different this time,_ she vowed silently. _No one can have him but me!_

Her resolve hardened, she got to her feet, not bothering to brush off her jeans before turning her back to the memorial. She had planning to do, and she knew just where to start.

 _Enjoy it while you can, bitch,_ she laughed quietly. _Because now, I'm coming for_ you.

* * *

"Oh, I can't wait!"

Skye skipped down the hallway without a care in the world, until Judy grabbed her arm, tugging her back against the wall by the lockers.

"Calm down," she snapped quietly. "Everyone's staring at you like you've lost it!"

Skye just hopped eagerly in place.

"Oh, I can't help it," she squealed softly. "Jack wants us to go to the party together!"

Judy stared at her, then dropped her wrist, deciding it was best to let the vixen stay on cloud nine.

"How'd you guys get together, anyway?"

Skye blushed, giggling.

"I've always volunteered to show new kids around," she explained. "But I didn't expect him to be so cute when he showed up!"

Judy cringed. Jack had never cared when other animals called him cute, but it had always been the fastest way to get under her skin, no matter who said it. Though she agreed Jack was attractive, she'd never seen him as more than a second older brother.

"He asked me out his first day here," Skye went on, nearly exploding in excitement. "And we had our first kiss under the mistletoe last Christmas!"

"Wow…" Judy followed her springy steps with sullen ones. Andy had pushed himself to the front of her mind again; she stared down at her hands, unable to forget the night they'd been covered in his blood.

"Whoa, easy!"

Judy snapped back to reality, freeing the light tan strands of tail fur caught in her necklace, then Skye turned back with an expectant look. Judy blinked.

"What's wrong?"

"I said, 'so, is Nick your first boyfriend?'. You were spacing out again," she added with concern. Judy sighed.

"First off, he's not my boyfriend, and he would't be my first one," she swallowed, glad that, for once, tears weren't threatening to spill."Andy and I ended…pretty badly, I still hate thinking about it."

She fidgeted as Skye kept watching her, she really did have a sick fascination with some things.

"I…didn't exactly get to date," she continued nervously. "I was the girl most guys didn't touch, unless they were trying to make someone jealous."

Skye gaped at her.

"You didn't…" she almost whispered it. "…did you?"

"What do you think?" Judy glared at her. "You really think I _wanted_ that reputation? I don't even know how I started!"

Skye winced, then shuffled her feet, glancing around awkwardly.

"Uh, listen, I'd love to stay, but I…have to get to the daycare!" she flashed a big, fake smile, rubbing the back of her neck. "So…I'll see you later?"

Judy's low spirits fell further.

"Y-Yeah, okay…" she muttered, her eyes glued to the floor. "Sure…"

Skye smiled again, then hurried off. Judy slumped against the wall, wondering where she could go so no one would hear as she bawled her eyes out. Did Skye really think less of her, now that she knew all of that? Was Blackwood High destined to be the next Meadow Academy?

 _I can't go through that again,_ she thought helplessly. _I just can't!_

Her vision blurred by tears, she didn't notice Chad until he was right in front of her; he was dressed in navy sweats and a long-sleeve white shirt, a small black sports bag hanging off his shoulder.

"Hey," the usual hint of a grin on his lips faded when she looked up at him. "You okay?"

She rubbed her eye.

"H-Hey, Chad," she hiccuped. "Yeah, I'm good."

"You don't sound like it," he hitched his shoulder to adjust the strap, gazing at her with worried eyes. "Feel like talking about it?"

She shook her head, then turned away from him. He blew out a breath.

"Look, I know I'm a jerk sometimes," he scratched at a small scar peeking through the his cheek fur, nearly identical to Nick's. "But it doesn't mean I don't care about you."

She bit her lip,

"It's not you," she assured him weakly. She crossed her arms, starting to slip toward the floor. Why wouldn't these feelings leave her alone? "It's not any of you…"

"What is it?" he asked. "Maybe I can help."

She shook her head again.

"Not unless you have a gun I can borrow."

He tensed.

"I don't like where this is going," he sounded wary. She pushed away from the wall.

"It's nothing like that," she looked at him. "I wanted to see if there was a shooting range somewhere, but I don't have a gun."

"Oh," he glanced down the hall. "I've got track now, but if you can stick around, I can take you after."

"No problem there," she gave a weak shrug. "I have to talk to the counselor, that'll take a couple hours, at least."

"Uh, okay, cool," his voice cracked, he cleared his throat. "I'll meet you in the parking lot when I'm done, see you later."

* * *

Chad looked on as Judy aimed, the laser site trained dead center on the target. His father and uncle were co-owners of the range, a repurposed warehouse on the outskirts of town. He hadn't fired a single shot, content just to watch her.

"So, why did you want to come here?" he readjusted his protective headphones, he could never get them to fit right. She fired, missing the bullseye by a corner of an inch.

"My mom used to take Michael and me, she was actually one of the best shots in the state," she adjusted her grip. "The first time I shot was on my sixth birthday, but I haven't touched one since she died."

He went to grab the box of ammunition he'd left on the table behind them.

"So, this reminds you of your mom?"

"Yeah, but it's not just that," she took a deep breath, firing after each word. "There's also Kara…Stephanie…"

The gun clicked empty, and she turned to stare at him; they were almost nose-to-nose, thanks to the platform she stood on.

"And boys that won't take 'no' for an answer."

He cringed, he definitely deserved that one.

"That's not why I've been acting like that," he started quickly, going on before he lost his nerve. "I'm doing it because I know that Nick likes you, and I'm hoping getting him jealous will make him act on it."

She looked incredulously at him.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

He grinned sheepishly, flashing his silver tooth.

She pulled off her headphones and set them next to the gun.

"When did you come up with this little 'plan' of yours?"

"Aw hole ago," he took off his, messing with them as he talked. "We were working on something for chemistry and he let it slip. I knew he wouldn't do anything about it, so…I decided to help him out."

She kept staring at him, making him squirm.

"And I'm pretty sure Skye already told you," he went on. "But Nick doesn't really trust girls, because of his sister. She and their brother almost killed him when they were kids."

Her jaw dropped; she blinked several times, then shook her head.

"W-What? How?!"

He shrugged.

"No one really knows, and everyone was too scared of them to try and find out. They disappeared years ago," he added. "And to this day, no one knows where they went."

His phone went off as he finished, the obnoxious chirp bounding off the concrete walls. He pulled it from his shirt pocket, his eyes widening when he saw the number.

"Uh…I have to take this, be right back."

He hurried outside and circled behind the building.

"Your timing sucks," he hissed in annoyance. "I'm already with her."

 _"I don't care about that,"_ the voice was heavily distorted, as always. _"What I want to know is whether she's catching on."_

He thought back on every conversation he'd had with her, as muffled gunshots sounded from inside. Judy was usually pissed at him or laughing, but she'd never acted like she was aware he was hiding something.

"I don't think so," he started. "She doesn't seem suspicious of anything, at least."

 _"Good, keep it that way,"_ the mammal laughed, sending chills down his spine. _"We don't want her spoiling our little game just yet."_

"But what about… _him_?" he bit his lip, knowing how much trouble he could get in just for mentioning it. "He's bound to catch on sooner or later."

 _"Leave him to me,"_ any trace of laughter was gone. _"You just take care of the girl."_

He opened his mouth, then closed it, suddenly feeling unsure. Was this really the right way to go about things? Likely not, but he knew it was the only way they _could_ go about it, if they expected to fix anything. He swallowed.

"Understood."

The line clicked, and he stared at his phone. In all the time he'd done this, he'd never seen things move so quickly, was it possible someone else was involved? He shook his head.

 _Whatever,_ he shoved it back in his pocket. Doubt was a luxury he couldn't afford, now that the stakes were sky-high. _I have my orders, that's all I need to worry about._

* * *

 _Nick dropped on the bleachers, his mouth open as he panted. The boys' PE class was at the end of their basketball unit, and was in the middle of a full-court game. He'd forgotten his sunglasses on his dresser, and the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead were making his temples pound. Chad came by after another quarter, looking even more smug than usual._

 _"Might as well give up, Nick," he climbed to the next row, planting his feet next to the fox's head. "That hottie's good as mine."_

 _Nick scoffed._

 _"Yeah, right."_

 _He stood, turning his back on the taller canid. The stink of Chad's never-washed foot-wraps had always made him sick, and now was no different. Chad chuckled, jumping to the floor._

 _"You think you still got a shot?" he asked arrogantly. "You've barely made a move on her!"_

 _Nick rolled his eyes, crossing his arms._

 _"Doesn't mean she's desperate enough to date you."_

 _He heard Chad walk toward him, what was the guy's issue today?_

 _"I know what your problem is," he said, his voice low. "Chickenshit."_

 _Nick tensed, he barely glanced over his shoulder._

 _"What did you call me?" he demanded softly, his voice deathly calm. Chad chuckled._

 _"You heard me," he spoke slowly. Most of the class had stopped playing, more interested in the growing fight. "Chicken…shit."_

 _Nick snapped around, taking the coyote's shirt and yanking him down to his level._

 _"_ Nobody _calls me that," he growled. "And gets away with it."_

 _Chad swallowed, the tip of his tail brushing the backs of his legs._

 _"You don't have the balls," the taunt shook slightly. Nick glowered at him, then shoved him away. Caught off-balance, Chad stumbled to the floor._

 _"I won't waste my time," he said, tail twitching behind him. "Now get lost before I change my mind."_

 _Chad rose to one knee, grabbing the ball as it rolled past, Nick grunting in pain when it slammed into his muzzle._

 _"What the hell, Chad?!" he held a hand to his nose. Chad caught the ball when it bounced back, then tossed it aside._

 _"You've been top dog for too long," he said angrily. "It's time you gave it up."_

 _Nick stared at him, his hand falling to his side; a trickle of blood dripped from one nostril._

 _"What the hell are you talking about?"_

 _Chad scoffed, then threw a punch, his fist colliding with the side of Nick's head. Nick staggered back, staring at him in shock. His eyes blazed, and he quickly returned the blow, a low thud resounding through the tall room as Chad toppled sideways, knocked out cold._

"You wouldn't believe how much I liked doing that," Nick said now. He had Chad has just finished a week of detention for the fight, both of their black eyes already starting to fade. Judy swallowed.

"What happened next?" she asked. He shrugged.

"Walked out, didn't look back."

Keeping pace on his other side, Jack groaned; it amazed him sometimes that those two considered themselves friends, with how often they butted heads. He stopped to pick up some trash, doing a double-take when a shadow flashed in the corner of his eye. He shook it off and threw the wrapper away, hurrying to catch up with the others.

* * *

Alex waited a moment before sighing silently in relief, taking off from her hiding place by the lockers, cutting through the back parking lot on her way to the football field. Heather was leading the cheer squad through their newest routine, a series of moves that would likely make any straight male forget there was a game going on.

"Stephanie!" she waved excitedly at the older girl, sitting on the sidelines with a sketchpad as always, engrossed in another of her 'masterpieces'. She was one of the best artists in town, though her work made most mammals feel like they'd just walked into a nightmare. She barely glanced up when the beaver jogged up to her.

"Did you find them?" she sounded almost disinterested. Alex nodded.

"Yeah, I followed them, just like you said to."

"What'd you hear?" she her brush in the ink pot next to her, an authentic antique from eighteenth century Japan. "And don't leave anything out!"

Alex sat down in front of her, failing to keep her eyes off the picture: a heavily shadowed rose in a tang;ed field of black vines, the thorns inverted so they cut into the stem. She went through everything she'd overheard the past few days, her stomach tightening as Stephanie's brush gradually came to a stop. She looked up, her mouth slack in disbelief.

"You sure he said all that?" she asked. Alex nodded.

"And that's not the worst of it," she said. "He asked her to his grandma's charity thing next weekend."

The brush clattered to the page, ink spattering across the picture like black blood. Alex gulped, inching back as Stephanie's fists tightened, her eyes burning with utter hatred.

"That…little…bitch," she growled through clenched teeth. "Who the _hell_ does she think she is?!"

Alex watched as she kept fuming, brightening as she remembered the idea that had popped into her head that morning.

"Um, Stephanie?" she cowered when the girl turned that pale gray glare on her. "I-I know I shouldn't anything, since I'm sure you have a plan already, but…"

"What is it?" the red panda demanded. Alex rubbed the front of her neck.

"I don't know how good it is, though…"

She outlined the idea, adding details on the fly, her own smile growing when she saw the wickedly gleeful one on the other girl's face as she finished. Stephanie laughed, leaning forward to grip her shoulder.

"Alex, I think you just moved yourself up a notch."

* * *

 _Nick usually has a cool temper and a long fuse, until you call him a coward, then you're just asking to get your butt handed to you..._


	7. Chapter 7

_Part of the challenge for this story is the characters in the original version are human, so I have to keep reminding myself that shoes and other details don't exist in Zootopia, like how the character Nick's replacing has long black hair he usually wears in a ponytail, and then there's the much greater size difference that exists between animals. That's why the biggest mammals in this are cheetahs, because of events that happen later that I'm sure everyone is going to hate me for..._

* * *

"Judy, quit squirming!" Skye pulled back the brush. "I'm going to take your fur out!"

Judy shivered. She sat on the edge of Skye's bed, her toes curling in the plush, pale yellow carpet.

"Sorry, I can't help it!" she groaned and squirmed again. "I'm so nervous!"

Skye scoffed in frustration and grabbed her shoulders, trying to hold the fidgeting rabbit down.

"What's there to be nervous about?" she asked. "We're just going to a party!"

Judy shook her head.

"But I'm going with the hottest guy in school, Skye!"

She groaned, running the brush back over Judy's short, silky fur.

"I don't care how hot he is," she snapped in annoyance. "We'll never get anywhere you don't keep still!"

They'd already spent two hours getting ready; she smoothed a fold in her dress: strapless, pale pink and floor-length, the matching stole draped over her footboard. Judy had insisted that they brush out each other's fur, though she was squirming so much that Skye was ready to give up.

"Okay, okay," the doe took a deep breath, then slowly blew it out. "He's not even why I'm nervous, it's Stephanie."

Skye rolled her eyes.

"I don't know why you keep letting her get to you," she set the brush down, then looped a white satin ribbon around the base of her right ear, tying it off with a small, neat bow. "She's just jealous, and she hasn't pulled anything in weeks."

Judy sighed, reaching for her backpack as Skye slid off the bed and went to her vanity.

"I know, but I can't stop thinking that she has something else planned," she started. It was easy to see why she'd become a model, even her feet were perfect. "She's probably just waiting for the best time to humiliate me again."

Skye compared another lipstick to the color of her dress, briefly wondering how she'd ended up with so many shades of rose, then glanced at the bunny in the mirror.

"Why'd you want that ribbon on your ear? It's the choker that goes with the dress, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Judy did the clasp on her necklace, then turned it carefully around, revealing seven small gems hanging from the lower of two delicate silver chains. "But I wanted to wear mine."

"It's gorgeous," she commented. "Is it special?"

Judy nodded.

"It was my mom's gift for their tenth anniversary," she touched the first jewel,a white diamond. "This one's my dad's, the emerald is Michael's, the ruby's mine and the sapphires are for Kyle, Zach and Brianna."

Each one hung from its own chain, longer the closer it was to the center. Her fingers shook as she touched the deep purple amethyst on the far right.

"And this is my mom's…"

Skye remembered the heartbreaking story Judy had told her, how her mother had been brutally murdered, then how she'd barely survived the rest of her family's massacre. She set down her chosen lipstick, going back to the bed to hug her friend.

"You really miss them, don't you?" she asked quietly. Judy nodded, then breathed a low sigh.

"The worst part is I know who…" she swallowed hard. "Who killed them…"

Skye pulled back, knowing she usually didn't like being touched for long.

"That's what I don't get," she said. "If you know, why weren't they ever arrested?"

Judy's jaw tightened, like her fists on her shimmering white skirt.

"They 'couldn't find any proof'," she spat bitterly. "The only gun there was locked up and didn't have any prints, and they couldn't figure out how the house started burning so quickly."

Skye had no idea what to say, but it didn't stop her from trying.

"I know it's hard, but they're still looking out for you," she turned to the window, where a circle of stars seemed to shine more brightly than the rest in the clear night sky. "They're alive as long as you don't forget them."

Judy sniffled for a moment, then wiped her eyes.

"I know you're right," she said. "It's just…I still miss them…"

"And you're always going to," Skye touched her shoulders briefly, pulling back when they heard a car stop in the driveway outside. "But I know they wouldn't want you crying the rest of your life, they'd want you to be happy."

Judy sighed again, drying the last of her tears. Skye returned her small smile, then got up and grabbed her stole.

"I'll see if I can make the guys wait a few minutes," she paused to finish her lipstick. "You know how impatient they can get."

Judy nodded, digging in the front pocket of her backpack again. Skye's smile faded as she shut the door, as she thought about everything her friend had been through: losing her family like that, forced to live with her vicious, abusive drunk of a stepmother. It was that last thing she deserved!

 _There's_ got _to be a way to her out of it,_ she thought. _But how?_

"There has to be _something_ we can do…"

"About what?"

She stopped, looking up to see Jack gazing curiously at her, tucking the spare house key she'd given him in the pocket of his crisp, dark gray suit.

"I'm trying to think how we could get Judy away from Kara," she clarified. "The last thing she needs is be stuck there any longer."

"Yeah, but what can we do?" he turned to Nick, the other male standing by the front window. He could certainly pull off a three-piece, but there was something about him that had always bugged her, and what was worse was she still couldn't put her finger on it. "Hey, any ideas?"

Nick kept staring at the street, then shoved out a breath.

"I don't think there's anything we can do," he turned to them. "I mean, there's…"

He trailed off, his mouth going slack. Judy had just stepped out of the hallway, her ears the same blushing pink as the powder on her cheeks. Her eyes were brighter than ever under smokey dark eye shadow, ringed by thick black lashes. She played with the clasp of her fluffy white bolero, giggling shyly as Nick kept staring, then shook it off and walked over to her. Skye snickered as she tugged Jack out to the porch, wishing she'd gotten a picture of that starry-eyed look on Nick's face; she was sure even Judy would realize he liked her after tonight.

"I wish Judy had moved here when I did," Jack straightened his jacket. "Who knows how much crap we could've avoided."

"I know," Skye walked to the other end of the porch, so she wouldn't be tempted to keep watching. "Looks like Chad was right after all."

Jack snorted.

"That's one thing I never thought I'd hear, but I wish he'd told us about that stupid 'plan' of his."

"You know him," she leaned against the railing. "He has to do everything on his own, no matter how bad it makes him look."

He chuckled a bit.

"Nick does the same thing, guess they're more alike than we thought."

She giggled.

"Yeah, guess so."

* * *

Judy's heart jumped when Nick took her hand, the blush in her ears getting deeper when he bowed, brushing a kiss across her knuckles.

"You look amazing," he said softly, letting his fingers tangle with hers. She took in his pressed dark suit, sharp white shirt and deep blue tie; his fur was neatly trimmed, and she had to admit he looked better with some extra scruff. It was the first time she'd noticed the small scar peeking through the cream fur on his chin, and she wondered what story was behind that one.

"Your tie's not straight," she pointed out, coming close to fix it for him. At least one useful thing had come out of wearing a school uniform. He rubbed the back of his neck as she finished, and actually flushed in embarrassment.

"My uncle kept me late at the garage," he said. "I barely had time to get ready."

She giggled a bit, then stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, her eyes widening when she felt how hard his heart was beating. He put a hand over hers on his chest, the other resting lightly on her back as he nudged her closer. She gasped when she gazed in his eyes, glinting in a way only one other pair had before: a sweet, excitable gray that had never stopped laughing. So unlike the serious, dark green gaze that hypnotized her now, her breath catching in her throat as he began to lean in, his strong, slim fingers tightening in her short fur, a tender warmth spreading through her veins as he pressed a light, sweet kiss to her forehead.

"We should get going," he nodded toward the front door, standing slightly ajar. "We can't let those two have all the fun, can we?"

She giggled again, taking his arm when he offered it, using the opportunity to cop a furtive feel.

"Now that would just be wrong."

* * *

The Wilde family estate was almost two hundred years old, the grand manor crowning a large, low hill and backed by the naked, sweeping forest. The shaped trees lining the driveway had withered from the cold, like the conical shrubs standing guard around the house. The lawn was dusted with frost, the yellowed grass cut close as a billiard table. Judy stepped carefully out from the backseat of Jack's white Honda, the neat vehicle easily the cheapest on the property. She took Nick's arm again as the four of them made their way up an intricately cut stone path to the wide front steps, the pale wood worn smooth by the passage of constant feet. A silver plaque engraved with vines shone beside the ornate doors, set in a tall, imposing archway, _'Isola'_ etched proudly in the center.

"What's that mean?" she asked quietly as they passed. Nick chuckled.

"It means 'island'," he answered softly. "This side of my family is Italian, and they made sure all of us grew up bilingual, since half of us still live there."

She smiled.

"That's pretty cool, I've always wanted to go to Europe, every country just sounds so gorgeous!"

He laughed again, waving a hand as they crossed the threshold.

"Then, welcome to _Isola._ "

She gasped. The front hall was stunning, heavy scarlet drapes drawn back from the large windows on three walls, framing a stunning view of the star-filled evening sky. Two deep green marble pillars supported the upper hall, a grand staircase curving along the right wall, the floor a swirled, shining sea of pearly white and stately black. An elaborate runner glided down each of the three halls between the pillars, a large, crystal chandelier hanging proudly in the middle of the tall ceiling.

All the wood she could see was dark, lacquered and polished to a shine, a short, stout pillar standing guard at the head and foot of the stairs. Wrapped in a carved vine with a simple crest lightly etched into the orb at the top: a blooming rose with a slim scroll wrapped loosely around its thorny stem. _Amare è sacrifico,_ to love is to sacrifice.

Several couples swayed elegantly to the classical music drifting softly from hidden speakers, a carved stone vase overflowing with roses standing in each corner of the spacious room, the floor around them littered with white petals. Judy's enchantment lasted until her gaze circled back to the doors, and she glowered at the familiar figure draped in a shimmering gold dress.

"Looks like Stephanie's here," she hissed in his ear. He couldn't quite hide his scowl.

"I like that _nonna a_ lways invites Lance's family," he whispered back. "But she thinks Stephanie and I should be together because they're as rich as we are."

"That's not much to go on, especially since, well…" she shrugged, then glanced back at Stephanie, who was talking to an attractive older fox couple, likely Nick's grandparents. The male was a red fox, taller than average with strands of white scattered through his coat and bright, charming blue eyes. His fitted off-white suit was a statement of gentility from a bygone era. The female at his side was much shorter, a smokey fox in a deep green velvet dress. She caught Judy's stare when she looked over, then turned back to apologize for cutting the conversation short. Judy felt Nick stiffen as the couple walked toward them, his grandmother's skirt whispering across the floor, her dark eyes filled with thinly veiled disgust.

"Nicolas," she stopped in front of them, hardly giving Judy a cursory glance. Her accent was smooth and easy, a contrast to her sharp movements. "Who is this?"

"She's a friend, _nonna,_ " Nick slipped a hand over Judy's, still tucked in the crook of his arm. " _Una cara amica._ "

"M-My name's Judy," her nerves thankfully hid her irritation. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. And Mrs. Wilde."

Mrs. Wilde sniffed.

"And just _how_ do you know my grandson?" her voice held no signs of softening. Judy cleared her throat.

"He's the teacher's aide in my chemistry class."

The old female huffed, then looked at Nick.

" _Non capirò mai perchè ti ostini a far parte della classe operaia,_ " she snapped impatiently.

" _Noi non siamo al di sopra di nessuno,_ " he returned sharply, glaring back at her. " _Perciò basta stronzate!_ "

His grandfather interjected, " _Bada a come parli!_ "

Nick flashed a sardonic smile.

" _Allora non avrebbe dovuto insultare Judy._ "

The elder male stared at him, visibly unnerved by his cold gaze, then cleared his throat.

"I think it's best we go, dear," he said to his wife. His accent was a bit thicker than hers, but just as dignified. He patted her hand, then led her away. "Just let the boy do what he wants."

Judy waited until they were distracted before turning to Nick.

"You weren't kidding about the bilingual stuff," she commented. "What was all that about?"

He groaned.

"Just an old argument," he sounded exhausted. "It's not worth worrying about."

They watched as his grandmother restarted her chat with Stephanie, his grandfather eventually excusing himself to speak with someone else.

"So, it's cold, but it's still a nice night," Nick said eventually, smiling awkwardly. "Come on, I'll show you the garden."

The back terrace was as ornate as the rest of the manor, paved with the same stone as the front walkway. Soft white lights were strung along a beautiful awning, spiraling down along slender stone pillars. A light mist hung over the bare garden, lending it a mystic charm. A white marble fountain stood in the center, clear water spilling from conch shells held by two tall, slender nymphs. Their heads were bowed, their eyes closed, lips parted as though in song. Judy gasped in delight, hurrying ahead to get a closer look. The level of detail was incredible: from the flowing strands of the nymphs' fur, the matching shells in their delicate hands, the drapes and folds in their simple, sleeveless robes. She sat on the edge of the large, round basin, reaching down to grab a flower that had fallen in the gently rippling water; a half-opened snowdrop, the white petals tinted silver by the full moon overhead. Nick sat next to her, turning to gaze at the fountain himself.

"Mom and I designed it," he explained, his voice wistful. "Won an art contest in third grade with that picture."

She twirled the bud slowly in her fingers, her other hand tucked into her bolero.

"It's kind of scary," she said after a while. "How alike we are: we were both close to our moms, and we both had the chance for a normal life ripped out from under us."

"Yeah, but who's to say what's normal?" he stretched his arms over his head, then draped one over her shoulders. Giving her that same, sweet smile, he took the snowdrop from where she'd dropped it in her lap, carefully tucking the stem behind her ear; his hand slipped to her cheek, his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned closer, and she put a hand on his chest, gasping softly at the quick pace of his heart. The arm around her shoulders drifted down to hug her waist, their lips less than an inch apart…

"There you are, Nick!" Stephanie ran toward them, grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. " _Nonna's_ been looking everywhere for you!"

He scowled at her, then tore his arm away.

"Don't give me that shit," he snapped at her. "If she wanted me, she would've found me her—"

"Don't worry about it, Nick," Judy touched his hand, smiling up at him. "And you really should be in there, it's—"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Stephanie waved her off, dragging him back inside with her; he stared back until they vanished in the crowd, the black latticed doors pulled shut to keep out the chill. Judy sat there, fisting her skirt, biting her tongue to keep the tears at bay, the tiny smile she'd given him still plastered on her trembling lips.

* * *

Skye's fingers tightened on her glass of sparkling cider. Stephanie had just sailed past them, making a circus of the fact that Nick was with her, her beaming smile wide enough to split her face.

"Just when I thought she couldn't get any worse," Jack muttered next to her. He pried the mostly empty glass from her grip, setting it and his on a tray carried by one of the servers striding through the crowd. "She pulls this crap."

"I'm actually surprised she didn't try it sooner," Chad stopped next to them, his hands in his pockets. "But I'm sure she was just waiting for the right moment."

Jack looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

Chad nodded toward the doors that led to the bark garden.

"She watched Nick take Judy out there, then five minutes later, she's dragging him back in."

Skye's glare shifted to Mrs. Wilde, all too happy to see Nick dancing with Stephanie, though his grandfather was looking anywhere but them, eventually turning to speak with the group of males behind him.

"How much longer do you think she'll keep this up?"

Chad shrugged.

"Who knows? But she doesn't seem to know when to _give_ up."

Jack stood on his chair, putting an arm around Skye's tense shoulders.

"How's Lance doing?" he asked. Chad shook his head.

"He started puking his guts out before we were supposed to leave, I actually feel bad for coming," he went on. "But he said it'd be better if I helped keep an eye on things here; his mom's with him, though."

Jack glanced toward the back doors.

"I don't think Judy's come in yet, why don't you go check on her?"

Chad nodded.

"And you guys find a way to get Nick away from that bitch, she's got to be put in her place."

"Right."

Skye pulled away from Jack as Chad headed outside, stopped behind Nick and tapped his shoulder. Stephanie glowered at her.

"Ugh, excuse me," she huffed. "We're in the middle of a dance here!"

"Oh, I know," Skye's voice oozed false sweetness. "But Jack and I _have_ to talk to Nick, it's _really_ important!"

Stephanie pouted up at him, but he stepped back, barely hiding his relief.

"I…better go see what they want."

He followed her to where Jack still waited by the wall, toying with the buttons of his open suit jacket.

"That was easier than I thought," he commented. "I didn't think she'd give up that easily."

"Yeah, but it won't be long before she comes looking for me again," Nick looked around. "Where's Chad?"

"Outside with Judy," Skye told him. "We sent him out there in case it took us a while to get you."

"Right," Nick rubbed the back of his neck, then pushed out a breath. "It was a bad idea to bring her here…"

Jack chuckled.

"It wasn't one of your best plans."

Nick shot him a glare with no real heat.

"Gee, thanks."

"Nicolas!"

His grandmother trotted over and grabbed his collar, tugging him down to her level. She muttered something quickly in Italian, barely giving him time to answer before going on again. He groaned.

"All right, all right," he shoved her hand away, straightened and fixed his clothes. Skye and Jack snickered.

"I'll see you guys later," he glanced sidelong at his grandmother. "Got 'official business' to take care of with some geezers."

His grandmother huffed indignantly, and they laughed harder. She grabbed his wrist, quietly snapping at him again before pulling him along with her.

"He actually looked kind of scared there," Skye noted when they'd gone. "I was starting to think he _couldn't_ get scared."

Jack just laughed.

* * *

"Hey, you okay?"

Judy looked up at Chad, dashing in his navy suit; a thin, dark crescent peeked through the fur beneath his eye, the remnants of the punch Nick had dealt him.

"Stephanie's pulled a lot of shit before," he went on. "But I don't think she's ever been _this_ obvious about it."

He bowed slightly, offering his hand with a small smirk.

"And I know I'm not Nick," he said. "But want to dance with me, anyway?"

She giggled, took his hand and let him help her to her feet.

"Guess I can't spend the whole night moping."

He led her inside, a new piece of music filling the air as they stopped on the dance floor. He pulled her close, put a hand on her back, and started a simple waltz. Judy was sure she'd have a crick in her neck by the time it was finished, since she had to tilt her head almost all the way back to look at him. It turned out not to be a problem, because after a few turns, he bent down and picked her up, holding her lightly against his chest.

"I don't usually come to these," he said softly, his breath warm against her ears. "Not really my thing."

"What made you come this time?" her voice was wispy, her fingers tightening on his shoulder. Why was she suddenly feeling like this?

"Figured I should, since you and Stephanie were bound to cross paths."

"Yeah…" she glanced around, trying to get a glimpse of another striped red tail. "Is Lance here? I haven't seen him yet."

Mr. Carter, head of the town's biggest hospital, had arrived with Stephanie, while his ex-wife and son were nowhere to be found. Chad grimaced.

"He's still at his mom's place," he said. "Started puking his guts out just before we were supposed to leave."

"It was probably something he ate," she spotted Stephanie in the crowd, flirting with an older dingo. Another turn let her find Nick, perfectly at ease with his grandfather and several other males, like he'd been talking business his whole life. "Starting to wonder why he hangs out with us…"

Chad shrugged.

"He's not like his folks, I think he'd probably deny he was related to them, if he had a choice."

He shuddered, like he knew something she didn't.

"If I'd had to go through what he did, I doubt I'd keep it together," he blew out a breath. "Forget being able to move past it."

The music faded into another piece, and he set her down, no doubt feeling how unsettled she was.

"Thanks, Chad," she started quietly. "But I really need to find Skye, I have to talk to her."

She threw a muttered 'sorry' over her shoulder, the stares of several females cutting into her as she made her way through the crowd. She could hear them whispering about the posters they'd seen in town; what was a girl like _that_ doing here? Who would have invited _her_? She tried to ignore the other comments, staring at the floor to hide the tears that filled her eyes. She knocked into a male, his drink spilling on them both, and she shrank away, waiting for him to explode, or throw the glass at her like Kara always did. But instead, he laughed.

"Hey, it's okay," he moved to touch her wrist, but she flinched, barely glancing at him before running off again. "H-Hey, wait!"

The fountain outside felt like ice when she collapsed against it, but she didn't care. It helped to cool her burning cheeks, the sounds of falling water and sobs nearly muting the voice and footsteps behind her. Someone knelt next to her, putting an arm around her shaking shoulders.

"It was just Sprite," he told her. "Nothing to freak about."

She sniffled, feeling the streaks of makeup in her fur as she lifted her head, seeing the black and rosy splotches on the sleeves of her jacket.

"I-I'm such a screw-up," she muttered, then coughed. The mammal beside her tilted her chin toward them, and she froze when her eyes met Nick's. She saw the wet spot on his shirt, wishing more than ever that she could just disappear.

"No, you're not," he was almost angry. "Don't you _ever_ think like that."

"B-But I _am,_ " she argued, then sniffled again. "I-I'm just—"

"The most amazing girl I've ever met," he gripped her shoulders, staring at her so intently that she couldn't look away. "I swear, I'm not lying when I say that."

He hugged her, letting her cry into his chest. This close, she couldn't miss the enticing smell of his cologne, mixed with the easy pine smell of his shampoo, his musk muted by scent neutralizer. She hiccuped, and hr stroked her wet cheek as she pulled back from him, glaring at the lit manor from the corner of his eye.

"Chad left, and Skye and Jack are sick of it, so I think it's time we got out of here, too," he smiled at her, his eyes so gentle and warm. "How about you?"

She nodded weakly, halfheartedly drying her face with her ruined sleeve.

"I-I think that's a great idea," she got up with him. "Let's go."

* * *

Jack pulled into Skye's driveway and cut the engine, before sitting back with a hard sigh.

"Okay, remind me to _never_ go to one of those again."

"Same here," Skye rubbed her forehead. "I don't know how I keep forgetting Stephanie's always there."

Nick scoffed. He'd spent most of the ride staring out the window, putting an arm around Judy when she'd slumped sleepily against his head.

"So you guys are just going to make me suffer through them on my own again?"

Jack looked at him in the rearview mirror.

"You're the one who keeps putting yourself through it," he said simply. Nick turned back to the window; Judy yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"What's going on?"

"We're back at my house," Skye opened the door and got out. "About time, too."

"You're the one who was 'so excited' to go in the first place," Judy reminded her, before climbing out herself. She followed them to the house, stopping when Nick leaned back against the railing, watching the sky with his arms tightly crossed.

"You really like staring into space, don't you?" she asked, as the front door clicked shut. He sighed.

"I'm sorry about the way _nonna_ treated you," he said. "She's just dead-set on me being with Stephanie."

Judy shrugged, moving next to him.

"Don't be, I'm actually pretty used to mammals talking to me like that," she looked at him. "But, why _does_ she want you to be with Stephanie so badly?"

"Our families worked together to found this place," he explained, loosening his tie. "For some reason, she started thinking that me marrying Stephanie is the only way to keep that going, she even tried arranging it once when we were kids."

"Are you serious?" she sat in one of the chairs in front of the living room window. "How old were you?"

"I'd just started kindergarten, and Stephanie was a seven-year-old that still pissed herself," he rolled his eyes. "Thankfully, everyone thought she was crazy when she brought up the idea."

Judy laughed.

"Is that why she's so…possessive of you?" she asked. He sighed again.

"Yeah, she just can't let go of it," he put his hands in his pockets. "She actually used to be pretty cool."

She started to shiver.

"I actually don't find that hard to believe," she stood, her teeth chattering a bit. "B-But we should get inside, it's freezing out here!"

"You go ahead," he turned, resting his hands on the railing. "I'm going to stay out a bit longer."

He could feel her eyes on his back, letting out a low breath when the door clicked shut. The air was still lightly scented with apples and orchids, and he remembered how she'd cried in his arms at the manor. He hated Stephanie and his grandmother for driving her to that, but couldn't help the small flame that had sparked in his heart. It was coming up on two years since he'd last let himself get close to a girl, but even Judy couldn't stop the dark thoughts whirling through his mind.

 _I should've done it weeks ago,_ a tiny cloud of mist drifted from his lips. _Why'd I let things happen like this?_

The wind picked up, blowing dead leaves and forgotten trash down the silent, empty street. The quarter moon seemed to be staring at him, questioning him: why was he acting like this? Why wouldn't those feelings leave him alone?

 _I have to go through with it,_ he choked; there was no going back, there couldn't be. _It's for the best._

He stood there a while longer, then headed inside. The faint noises down the hall told him what Jack and Skye were up to, as he spotted Judy curled up on the living room couch. She'd left her jewelry and ribbon on the coffee table, one of her ears flopped limply over her face.

 _She still looks amazing,_ he brushed her cheek, pulling back when her eyelids fluttered. She turned her back to him and stretched her legs out, and he couldn't miss how her dress clung to every curve of her slim, toned body, the perky poof of her little tail. He tore his gaze away, grabbing the blanket thrown over the recliner, his fingers ghosting along her side as he draped it over her. Even without the others telling him, it was clear she liked him as much as he did her, though the feeling quickly soured if he thought too long about it.

It wasn't the fact he knew she could do better than him, it was the knowledge he wouldn't be around for much longer. He fled back outside and leaned heavily against the door, wishing his life could have taken any other path.

 _I shouldn't let it control me…_

He covered his mouth when he started coughing, his second fit that day. It terrified him, seeing the dark blood on his fingers, but it was nothing compared to the other spells; though for once, it seemed this would be it.

 _What the hell's wrong with me?_

* * *

 _Una cara amica: a good (female) friend_

 _Non capirò mai perchè ti ostini a far parte della classe operaia: I'll never understand why you insist on being part of the lower class_

 _Noi non siamo al di sopra di nessuno, perciò basta stronzate: We're not above anyone, so cut the bullshit_

 _Bada a come parli: Watch your mouth_

 _Allora non avrebbe dovuto insultare Judy: then she shouldn't have insulted Judy_


	8. Chapter 8

"You've got to be kidding me…"

The white house rivaled _Isola_ in size, though was much more modern, the grounds iced with a thin layer of fresh, crunching snow. Judy had woken up that morning to Jack talking quietly on his cell, then again to Skye lightly shaking her. Chad chuckled.

"You didn't think Nick was the only rich guy in town, did you?" he came up beside her. She shook her head.

"That's not what I meant," she told him, still staring at the mansion. "If Lance lives here, doesn't that mean Stephanie does, too?"

Lance helped Ty with the folded keyboard lying across his backseat. The red panda was visibly pale under his fur, with dark circles showing under his eyes and an unusual grit to his voice.

"Mom kicked her out last week," he started. "Said she was done dealing with her."

"What'd she do this time?" Jack lightly kicked the door shut, while Skye got the other one. Lance groaned.

"That would take all day."

A powder blue Porsche growled to a stop behind Chad's dirty black Jeep, Stephanie glaring murder at them as she climbed out of the driver's seat. Her shiny, dark purple jacket and black ski pants clung to every curve, her eyes blazing behind white vintage sunglasses.

"What the hell is _she_ doing here?" she demanded. Judy flipped the end of her scarf over her shoulder, flashing a perfect copy of the red panda's fake, arrogant smile.

"Isn't obvious?" she asked snobbishly. "I'm just here to piss you off!"

The rest of the group snickered; Stephanie glowered at them again before shoving Lance aside, shoving the front door open before slamming it shut behind her. Jack winced.

"Maybe we should go around back."

"Good idea," Cha grabbed a guitar case from his front passenger seat, curling the strap over his shoulder.

"I actually want to stay out here for a while," Judy said suddenly. Chad looked at her, then shrugged.

"If that's what you want."

He caught up with the others, grabbing Nick's wrist to stop him.

"You said you wanted to help her," he murmured, nodding toward Judy. She was staring at the woods on the western edge of the property, tightly hugging herself. "Looks like now's your chance."

He walked away before Nick could say anything, watching the fox from the corner of his eye. As he'd expected, Nick hesitated before walking over to her; the other male was more messed up than he let on, his quiet, blunt demeanor a shield for the terrified kid he and Lance had known for of their lives. A shield they both knew would never break until Nick let it.

They'd all thought Emily would've helped him, and for a while, it had seemed like she had. But then, she'd started getting possessive, going crazy every time Nick did something without her. He'd been fired more than once because of the emergencies she'd created to keep him out of work: swallowing pills, slashing her wrists, being caught trying to hang herself. Her parents had blamed Nick for it all, and they'd just gotten worse after the incident on the bleachers. Even before, Nick's suicidal tendencies had been held back by threads, and it had taken everyone months to drag him back from them. They'd finally told Emily's parents off after his third trip to the hospital in less than four months, saying they had to open their eyes and realize the jealous, manipulative girl their daughter had really been. They'd moved shortly after, and now the only public signs of Emily's existence were a plaque, a painted rock and a small tombstone in a lonely corner of the cemetery.

"Chad!"

"Huh?" he realized he was standing in the doorway. Lance was staring at him, concern plain on his worn face.

"Uh, sorry," he laughed weakly. "Guess I stayed up too late last night."

Lance shook his head.

"I know that look," he replied. "What were you really thinking about?"

Chad looked over his shoulder, his jaw dropping when Nick offered to hug Judy. Lance gripped his arm.

"He's getting there, but you know he's got to do it himself."

"Yeah, I know," Chad blew out a breath, then followed him to the basement, where Jack and Skye were waiting. He'd done his part, all he could do now was see where things went.

* * *

Nick felt that old anxiety welling as Chad walked away, the same he fought to bury every time he got near Judy. She hadn't moved, staring at the sky like heavy gray clouds full of snow were the most incredible things in the swallowed, forcing his fear down as he walked over to her.

"Judy?" he coughed lightly into his shoulder. "You okay?"

"Michael was in a band," she was talking to herself, her voice faintly tearful. "God, why does _everything_ we do remind me of them?"

He touched her arm, pulling back when she jumped.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said. "I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

She wouldn't look at him.

"I'm fine," she answered. "Just lost in the past, I guess."

He knew that was just the tip of it.

"You blame yourself for what happened, don't you?" he asked gently. She slumped.

"I still feel like there was a lot more I could've done…"

"It wasn't your fault," he took her hand. "It was out of your control."

She sniffled.

"We always tried to make Dad see what was going on, when he actually _was_ home," she glared tearfully at the ground. "But he never listened to us."

His jaw tightened; he knew what it was like to be ignored, after getting the courage to finally speak out.

"Guess love's as deaf as it is blind," he commented. A tear trailed down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away.

"I know it's hard," he tried to comfort her. "But they're still looking out for you, I know they are."

He held out his arms when she turned to him, his heart jumping when she accepted without a second thought.

"You said you lost your parents, too," she uttered after a while, a diversion so she could stop thinking about her own tragedy, a tactic he knew all too well. "What happened?"

"My dad lost control behind the wheel," his voice was low. It was the first time in years he hadn't choked on the words. "But I didn't actually care too much when I heard, I thought they'd gotten what that deserved."

She brushed something from his sweater, her gaze locked on his chest.

"You don't mean that," she said quietly. "Do you?"

He sighed.

"They didn't want to deal with their mistakes," he pulled back, knowing he was saying too much, but unable to stop. His chest tightened, but he managed to stave off the attack, at least for now. "And it means I don't have a choice."

He left, stuffing his numb hands in his pockets, not wanting to see how she'd react. It didn't matter how he felt about her, or how she did toward him, all that mattered was making sure neither of them got hurt again. And if shutting her out was the only way to do that, then so be it.

* * *

Judy watched him go, wondering what in the world had just happened. One minute, Nick was trying to comfort her, and the next, he was leaving her out alone in the cold. Had she gone too far when she'd asked about his parents? She remembered the conversation she'd tried starting with Jack and Skye on the way over, about what Chad had mentioned the night before. Neither of them had been willing to say much, and now Nick had gone and added another layer to the mystery.

What mistakes had he been talking about? Had one of his parents, or even both, been part of something they shouldn't have? Was his family still involved in it somehow, and he was taking the blame for their trying to leave?

 _Ugh,_ she buried her face in her hands, realizing how stiff her fingers were. _This is making my head hurt._

She put the thoughts away for later, in one of the boxes an old counselor had told her to imagine, in order to try and focus her feelings. It also made it easier for her to ignore certain things, at least in the short term. She shivered as the wind started picking up, watching the weak sun fade behind the heavy clouds that had been building all morning. Oddly enough, something about that drab winter sky was soothing to her, the gray covering reminding her of a game she'd loved to play when she was little.

Either Michael or one of the adults in the family would drape a large blanket over her head, then pretend she'd disappeared. Often, she'd sneaked off to a different room while their back had been turned, determined to make the fun last as long as she could. It had just been another casualty of Kara shoving her way into their lives, when her father had decided that keeping the money flowing so the doe could spoil herself had been more important than his children. At least, that was how Judy and Michael had come to see things.

She sneezed, realizing she still stood in the middle of Lance's frozen front yard, and she shivered again, rubbing her arms as she hurried to the house. She just hoped she could get to the basement without running into Stephanie again.

"I really have to stop spacing out like that…"

* * *

"Yes, you do," he lowered his binoculars. "Makes this damn job even more boring…"

It had taken weeks to plant those hidden microphones throughout the house and grounds, but they allowed him to catch the smallest whispers, among other things, and it all assured that their little secret was still safe. He watched the doe retreat through the back gate, chuckling lewdly as he licked his thin, scarred lips.

 _"Hey, no daydreaming,"_ a voice crackled harshly through his headset. _"You have to be ready at a moment's notice."_

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes, they never let him have any fun anymore. "But why bother taking her out in the first place? She's no threat to us."

 _"He's bound to tell her eventually,"_ his boss snapped. _"We_ can't _afford that risk."_

"But won't taking her out just—"

 _"Enough!"_ the voice broiled with more anger than usual. _"Your job now is surveillance,_ not _asking questions or making theories. We need to get rid of her, understand?"_

He rolled his eyes again, letting his binoculars drop to his chest.

"Understood."

The connection clicked out, and he yanked off the headset, his knuckles white under his fur as he tried not to throw it to the frost-covered ground. He'd set up in an old hunters' nest on the edge of the Carters' property, freezing his ass off while the boss lounged behind his desk in a warm office back at headquarters. But the arrogant son of a bitch paid more than his last four employers combined, so he figured he couldn't complain too much.

 _But what kind of danger could this girl really be,_ he shifted from his kneel and crossed his legs. If he'd known he'd be spending this long watching the place, he would've taken the time to turn the nest into something more comfortable. _What will killing her really do for us?_

He sighed and went back to watching the mansion, lacking any of _Isola's_ old-fashioned charm. It also sat on a smaller plot of land, which at least made his job easier. He perked up when a red panda stomped out the front door, whirling to glare at a random second-story window.

"You stupid bitch!" her shout echoed tinnily through the headphones he'd jammed around his neck. "This isn't over!"

She stormed to the blue Porsche she'd pulled up in, the engine roaring as she blazed down the asphalt driveway. A vile grin flicked across his lips, and he laughed.

"Well, well," he brought down the binoculars. "Looks like I found an ally."

* * *

Stephanie slammed her bedroom door and grabbed one of the plush bears crowding her shelves, pressing it to her mouth to muffle her enraged scream. From the arched ceiling to the hardwood floor, the large room was filled with every shade of red she could find, the walls taped over with charcoal and pencil sketches, along with her ink paintings. The original picture of Judy she'd photoshopped was taped to the dartboard hung on the back of her door, littered with holes. She set the bear in its spot and snatched a dart from the black plastic basket on her dresser, stabbing it into the grainy image's grayscale throat.

"Oh, Nick," she fell on the bed and curled up on her side, staring longingly at the frame on her nightstand. He was smiling, his arm slung around slim, pale furred shoulders, the other mammal's face scribbled out with red marker. It had been so easy to drive them over the edge, and while things hadn't gone exactly like she'd planned, almost everything had still worked out in the end. "Why are you doing this to me?"

She traced the edge of his lean cheek with her claw, following the line of his narrowing muzzle. It had been the first day she'd seen him with his braces, and he'd finally grown out of his baby face at the start of last year.

"I don't want anyone else to have you," she went on sadly. "You're mine!"

She gripped her pillowcase, gritting her teeth as tears began to run across her nose. She'd been too young to understand when they'd met, but she'd fallen for him the minute he'd laid those gorgeous emerald eyes on her. The feelings had only grown over the years, evolving into a fierce, all-consuming love. They would be perfect together, she just knew it.

Judy was the reason he didn't see it, like it had been that other girl before, whatever her name had been. Stephanie had almost ensnared him when those sluts had come along, whisking him away without a second thought. She swallowed her tears and sat up; if only there were some way to get rid of that little freak. Then she giggled, remembering the plan Alex had outlined the week before.

"Oh, that's _perfect_!"

She grabbed her phone and dialed Eric's number; the muscle-bound jock had been under her spell for years, a sweet, obedient little puppet.

"Eric, baby," she put on her most seductive tone, the one he could never resist. "Call me when you get this, okay? There's something I need you to do for me."

She jammed her phone in her back pocket and stood, going to grab the empty bag she'd left by the closet, throwing in the last of her clothes. Her mom had actually followed through with one of her little threats for once: kicking her out if she were caught smoking in the house again, since it triggered Lance's asthma. He was the sibling she'd never wanted, but she'd learned to tolerate him, as long as he stayed out of her way. One more reason she'd always preferred their father; she was his top priority, as it should be. She threw the door open, stopping short when Judy came out of the bathroom across the hall, patting her damp hands dry on her jeans.

"Oh, hey Steph," she smiled cheerfully. "How's it going?"

Stephanie glared at her, her manicured claws tightening on the strap of her bag.

"I know what you're trying to pull, bitch," she said angrily. "And it won't work. You'll see, Nick always comes back to me."

Judy stared at her, then took a deep breath.

"Look, Stephanie," she started calmly. "I don't want to keep fighting with you, can't we just get along?"

Stephanie sneered.

"Sure, we can," she spat sarcastically, her glower getting darker. "Once you learn to keep your filthy hands off my boyfriend!"

She shoved Judy aside and stalked downstairs, fuming.

 _Does that slut really think she can fool me?_

She laughed at the thought. Judy really was as stupid as she looked, and now it was time for one hell of a wakeup call.

* * *

Nick carefully set his guitar in its case; he'd barely been able to focus during practice, with Judy sitting only a few feet away. She was gorgeous when she smiled, and that thought had it harder to keep his voice from cracking, or from skipping a chord and throwing the whole band off. He'd ended up calling it quits a half hour early, silently relieved when she and Skye had left for a shopping trip with Heather. Lance had gone upstairs to order pizza, Jack talking in fast Spanish on the landing. Chad was by the wall, tuning his bass.

"You know you'll have to tell her at some point, right?" he asked suddenly. Nick clipped the case shut.

"What do you mean?"

Chad scoffed.

"We all know how much Judy likes you," he went on. "Why not just tell her how much you like her?"

"I already did," he got to his feet. "And that's as far as it'll go."

"What?" Chad looked at him. "Why wouldn't you—"

"There's no point," Nick cut him off. "And it's too dangerous, you know that as well as I do."

Chad scratched his head, then set down his bass.

"I'm pretty sure you're overreacting," he crossed his arms. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

Nick glared at him.

"I don't need to explain that, this is the only way to keep her safe."

Chad cocked a brow.

"You sure about that?"

He went to Nick's side and took his shoulder.

"She's in danger now," he waited for Jack to head upstairs. "You really think she'll be able to last much longer like this?"

Nick shrugged his hand off, staring at the floor.

"Fine, I'll do it," he lowered his voice, glaring at the taller pred. "But just know that if anything happens to her, it's on _your_ head."

Chad swallowed.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine," he stepped aside. "Who knows, she might even end up helping you."

"I doubt it," he paused by the stairs. "I just hate seeing her like this…"

* * *

Chad watched him go, then let out a relieved sigh. He was used to Nick being annoyed, even pissed at him, but that was nothing compared to the rage he'd seen in his eyes just now. He also couldn't fight the fear that Nick wouldn't hesitate to follow through on the treat, if things ended up going that way. He gulped.

 _I can't let it stop me,_ he told himself. Nick had to learn there were still mammals he could trust, and Judy had to know what it was like to be happy again. Besides, what was the worst that could really happen? _Just hope I'm doing the right thing._

He packed his bass and headed upstairs, stopping when he saw Jack was the only one in the living room.

"Where'd everyone go?"

"Skye dragged Judy shopping with her and Heather," Jack answered, swirling his can of Pupsi before knocking some back. He was the only one in the group who drank the stuff. "And Nick went with Lance to get the pizzas."

There were only a couple pizza places in town, and of course, the Carter and Wilde mansions were just outside their delivery zones.

"Did any of them…say anything before they left?" Chad asked. Jack shook his head.

"Judy just tried to tell Skye she wasn't up for bing dragged around the mall, and of course, Skye didn't hear a word she said," he chuckled a bit. If there was one thing the vixen had to work on, it was listening. "But Nick did look more 'I hate the world' than usual, and I'm sure you had something to do with that."

Chad laughed sheepishly. It was kind of unnerving, the way Jack always seemed to know exactly what was wrong.

"I told him he should stop being scared of the fact he likes Judy," he admitted, then rubbed the back of his neck. "I also might have said I'm worried about where she's headed."

Jack winced.

"I knew I wasn't the only one noticing that, and it explains why Skye's been pestering her so much," he took another sip. "You really think her and Nick getting together will fix things?"

Chad shrugged.

"It would at least be a start, wouldn't it? And anything's better than them beating themselves up for stuff that wasn't their fault."

"That's certainly true," Jack yanked his phone from his pocket when it started vibrating, then scowled at it. "Ugh! _¡No Otra vez!"_

He accepted the call, anyway, then headed to the kitchen.

 _"¡Madre, por favor!"_

Chad snickered, then stopped himself, remembering why Jack's folks were so overprotective, that it was another of the things Judy still carried around with her. Just the thought of everything his friends had gone through twisted his stomach, and he wished there were more he could do to help them through it. But there was only so much that could happen until they accepted that they weren't to blame.

* * *

 _Jack is speaking Spanish, figured I'd get some use out of the two years I had to take in high school..._

 _No, otra vez- not again_

 _Madre, por favor- mom, please_


	9. Chapter 9

"Is Judy really still out?" Skye looked around the packed lunch room, thinking that it'd been almost a week since she'd last seen the doe. Jack swallowed, then wiped his mouth.

"Some colds stick around a while," he said. "Nothing to get worked up about."

"You know what Kara's like more than any of us," she told him. "How can you be so sure it's just a cold?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Look, since they moved here, she's either been drunk or who-knows-where," he got up and threw his tray away. "I really don't think she's much of a threat anymore."

"Well, yeah, but," she trailed off. Was she really getting herself worked up over nothing? "But Judy hasn't answered any of my texts in days, how do you explain that?"

"Maybe she left her phone in her locker," Lance and Chad sat across from them, Chad's food already half-gone. "Or she's just tired of you bugging her."

Skye ran a claw along the edge of her metal lunch box.

"Can you blame me?" she asked. Jack rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, you do like getting carried away," he said, and Chad nodded. She sighed, then turned, pulling in a breath through her teeth when she saw the angry red scratches peeking through the fur on Nick's cheek.

"Damn," Chad laughed. "What happened to you?"

"One of the kids my cousin, Chelsea, babysits," Nick sat down and took a plastic container from his backpack. "All I have to do is look at him, and he freaks."

Skye snickered.

"That's probably because your face scares him," she said. "Would it really kill you to smile more?"

He didn't answer, starting to pick at his salad. Lance pushed his tray to the side, then cleared his throat.

"So, uh, how's Judy doing?"

Nick tapped his fork on the rim of the container.

"I don't really know," he admitted slowly. "I've just given her what she's missed and…left."

Lance and Jack groaned, Chad facepalming.

"Are you serious?" he asked. "You can't just leave her hanging like that!"

"What do you expect me to do?" Nick shot back. "It's not like I can—"

"Judy's _not_ going to do what Emily did," Lance told him. "You have to let that go already!"

Nick stuttered.

"It's not—!" he grit his teeth, then lowered his voice. "It's not like that."

"Then what _is_ it, nick," Skye questioned. "Is it because of your—"

She snapped her mouth shut when he glared at her, but then his shoulders slumped.

"She's been through too much already," he sounded defeated. "I don't want her crying over me."

Someone laughed mockingly behind him.

"You really think someone would waste time crying over you?"

Nick looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing. The cross-type vulpine was unusually tall, the dark fur between his ears slicked backed, a cold, arrogant glint in his deep blue eyes. His gleaming white smile widened.

"Hey there, cuz," false pleasantry leaked through his easy Italian accent.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nick demanded. The other vulpine laughed again.

"That any way to talk to family?"

"You're not my family," Nick returned sharply. The oily grin wilted slightly.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?"

"Just tell me what you're doing here," Nick's tone didn't change. His cousin's smile faded.

"My parents said it would be good for me to live here a while."

"Why?" Nick copied his earlier smirk. "They have to bail your ass out too many times?"

His cousin scowled, then stalked off. Nick scoffed, turning back to the table.

"Great," he muttered angrily.

"Who was that?" Jack asked.

"My cousin, Gabriele," he explained. "I've got some bad history with him, I don't really want to talk about it."

He tossed his fork in the container and snapped on the lid, stuffing it in his backpack as he got to his feet.

"I've got some stuff to do, catch up with you guys later."

* * *

Judy groaned, leaning her pulsing head against the back of the couch. Her throat was itchy, dry and sore from coughing, her nose rubbed red and raw from having to blow it every five minutes. She'd dragged the big trashcan in from the kitchen after Kara had left, the bag filled with most of the box of tissues on the coffee table. As much as she hated being sick, it was still better than dealing with all the bad drama at school.

She looked at the piles of half-finished chemistry and math homework and books next to it, her biggest problem over the past week. It was bad enough she barely got most of it, but she'd become obsessed with figuring out what Nick was really hiding. There was something under the emotional and physical scars she'd found, but what was it? She groaned again, ready to tear her fur out when the doorbell rang. Her head spun as she got up, her eyes watering as she stood on her toes to look through the peephole. Nick was waiting on the porch, messing with the zipper of his favorite dark leather jacket, another blue folder tucked under his arm. Judy smiled to herself as she opened the door, thinking it would be fun to try getting a rise out of him. She crossed her arms, leaning against the frame.

"So is this going to be any different, or are you just going to hand me the crap and leave like you usually do?"

He winced, his braces catching the late winter sunlight.

"I've…had stuff to do," he offered weakly. She snorted.

"Like working in your piss-pot uncle's garage?"

Anger flashed through his eyes.

"What's with you?" he snapped. "I know you've been stuck inside, but don't take it out on me!"

"I don't have anyone else to take it out on," she countered smoothly. "So why shouldn't it be you?"

He stared at her, the anger fading as fast as it had shown up.

"What's this really about?" he asked. "I doubt staying home's got you this pissed."

She shivered, then pulled him inside, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm exhausted," she half-heartedly covered a yawn. "This is the first day I haven't been puking nonstop, and I've barely slept this week."

She looked in the living room, the stacks of paper seemed even bigger than they had before.

"I'm not getting any of this," she went on. "And Kara took my phone because she found out my grades are in the toilet."

He blinked.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

She scoffed.

"You didn't really give me a chance," she lowered her head, a thread of fear coming into her voice. "And I didn't want to give Stephanie another reason to hate me."

He chuckled, tilting her chin back with his hand.

"She's not here now, right?"

* * *

Judy let the pencil fall from her fingers. The work she'd been struggling with all week, done in three hours! She turned to Nick, smiling excitedly.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Nick?"

He laughed.

"Trig and chemistry have always been easy for me," he shrugged. "Never thought about it."

"So, is there anything else you're hiding from me?" she scooted closer to him. The grin faded from his face, and he looked relieved when the front door clicked shut. Kara walked into the living room, stopping when she saw them.

"Judy, who's this?"

"I'm a friend from school," he stood, went over and shook her hand. "My name's Nick."

She looked past him, lifting a finely shaped brow.

"Nick, I'm sorry, but am I interrupting something?"

He put his hand in his pocket.

"I was just helping Judy with the work she's missed."

"Oh, should I let you get back to it?"

"We just finished," he glanced at the silver watch on her wrist. "And there's somewhere else I have to be soon."

She smiled, turning to Judy.

"There's something we have to talk about, but it can wait until you two are done."

She went to the kitchen, setting her purse on the counter. Judy grabbed the small blanket draped over the back of the couch, wrapping it around her shoulders. She followed Nick outside, sneezing into the crook of her arms.

"You sure you should be out here?" he asked worriedly, a cold breeze blowing through their fur. She sniffled, pulling the blanket more tightly around her.

"I had to get away from her," she muttered.

"Why? She seemed okay to me."

She shook her head.

"Believe me, it's an act," her fingers tightened on the edge. He touched her arm, and she knew he could feel her shaking.

"You won't be stuck with her forever," he assured her. "You'll be on your own soon, and then you'll never have to look back."

She shrugged his hand off.

"Why does it feel like you're trying to give me a pep talk?" she glared half-heartedly at him. He chuckled.

"You looked like you needed one."

He went stiff when his phone vibrated.

"Hey, I have to go," he brushed her cheek. "Just make sure you're better by next Sunday, okay?"

She looked at him.

"Why?"

He flashed a mysterious smile, then winked at her.

"You'll see."

She blushed, watching as he climbed in his truck, throwing her a brief wave before taking off. Her heart started to race as she waved back.

 _Why do I like him so much?_

* * *

The quarter moon glowed faintly behind a sheet of fog and sleet. He hurried through the woods, his pants soaked from splashing through the half-frozen puddles that dotted the path. The wind was blowing hard, knocking the bare branches above him together. He stopped when he got to the wide river, the current too fast for ice to form. The rotting planks that made up the narrow, decrepit bridge creaked, threatening to break with every careful step. The echoes stayed in his ears long after he'd crossed, but it didn't do anything to silence the thoughts whirling through his mind.

 _You can't do this,_ he told himself. _You can't betray them like this!_

It didn't matter which team he chose to play for, either one would mean the death of someone he cared about. There was no getting out of it, _they_ had made sure of that.

 _There has to be_ something _I can do,_ he thought helplessly. _Maybe if I—_

"Are you going to look up any time soon?"

He flushed. Anya stood across from him, her arms folded, a light smirk on her cherry-red lips. He chuckled weakly.

"I'd go blind if I stared at you too long," he said, and she laughed.

"I hope that's a compliment."

He chuckled again, following her inside the small hut. As usual, a line of needles sat ready on a steel tray, a black medical cooler sitting on the floor next to the stand. They hadn't needed the blood or fluids yet, but he was glad she kept them on hand. He pulled off his jacket and hung it on a broken pipe, then sat on a tall stool as termite-eaten as the thin walls.

"Well, let's get started."

She nodded, her hands shaking a bit as she pushed up his shirt, and he knew she was staring at the scars when she paused. The smell of the new sterilizing compound burned his nose, as she held a small cotton pad to the narrow mouth of a gray bottle; some of the scientists had concerns that normal rubbing alcohol affected the potency of the serums. Considering what was in some of them, it didn't surprise him.

She wiped down the injection site, shaved earlier that day, then grabbed the first syringe, pulling off the clouded plastic cap. It was probably a trick of the sharp, single light overhead, but he could've sworn the liquid inside changed from muddy brown to a deep red. He groaned softly in pain as the tip of the long needle pierced his spine. The effects were immediate, his body rocking with violent spasms, his veins swelling as the mixture coursed through his blood. He faintly heard her gulp, felt her grip his shoulder to try and keep him still, struggling to give him the second shot.

"I'm sorry I have to do this…"

He tore at his face, every inch of his body burning, his ragged screams getting caught in his throat as a leg snapped on the stool. He gasped sharply, every nerve shrieking as he caught himself on his hands; he stared helplessly at her, shaking as he fought to get the words out.

"Please, t-tell me it's over…"

Anya choked, taking the other four syringes from the tray; she whimpered helplessly.

"If I don't give you all of them, they'll kill us."

He clenched his jaw, barely holding back another scream. The pain came in jagged pulses, flaring with every pound of his racing heart.

"I already feel like I'm dying," he forced the words out, his throat tight. "Just do it!"

She obeyed, giving them as quickly as she could. It felt like every cell was being ripped in two, his vision blurring as tears pooled on the filthy, splintering floor. At long last, the fits faded, and he breathed a faint, relieved sigh as he finally collapsed, the howling wind outside fading into cold, empty silence.

* * *

Judy rubbed her eyes, glancing at the clock on the mantlepiece. It was going on midnight. The tapping that had woken her up started again, what if it woke Kara? Her phone vibrated on the floor; had she knocked it over in her sleep? There was a text from Skye, asking Judy to meet her on the porch, there was something big they had to talk about.

 _Well, I'm awake,_ she messaged back, she'd be out in a second. _Might as well see what she wants._

She tiptoed to the front door, flicking on the outside light as she looked through the peephole. A shivering girl stood outside, her hood up, her tail draped around her feet.

"Skye?" Judy unlocked the door and pulled it open, wincing when the hinges squeaked. The vixen didn't answer, and she stepped outside. A strong hand clamped across her mouth, another grabbing her waist. The other female lifted her head, showing a grotesque, bloody skull mask.

"Keep holding her," she whispered loudly, then dug two looped cable ties from the front pocket of her baggy black sweatshirt. "I'll take care of the rest."

Judy grabbed her captor's hand with both of hers, hoping she could free her mouth long enough to scream. They tightened their grip, shoving a knee in her back and knocking the breath out of her. The girl grabbed her wrists and bound them, then moved to her ankles, snickering.

"Let's get going," she hissed when she'd finished. "I don't want anyone seeing us."

Judy kicked and squirmed when her feet left the ground, grunting as she was thrown over a hard shoulder, her captor's hand remaining firmly over her mouth. The two brought her to a black car parked in front of the empty house next door, throwing her in the back before climbing in themselves. The girl adjusted the rearview mirror, glaring at her with such hatred that Judy was amazed she didn't burst into flames.

"Put her out," she started the engine and pulled away from the curb. "Make sure I can't see her _ugly_ face."

The other mammal laughed, forcing her head back toward them; she could see glimpses of a red-scaled dragon mask whenever they passed under a streetlight. They parted their fingers enough to force a thin straw past her lips, her body trembling when they gave a low, rumbling chuckle.

"Be a good girl and drink it all," they said quietly, menacingly. "Or else."

Judy gulped down the warm, salty water as fast as she could, choking on the last few sips. They laughed again, propping her against their side, letting the bottle fall to the floor, their hot breath hitting her limp ear.

"Hope you're ready," they whispered. "Because you and I are about to have _a lot_ of fun."

* * *

Nick couldn't believe Judy was still missing. It had been three days since the police had questioned him, since he'd learned he was one of the last known mammals to see her alive. He reached across the kitchen table, dragged the poster close and focused on the picture, the same one he still had as his lock screen. Judy was smiling shyly, looking at the ground, one of her ears tossed over her shoulder. The page fell to the floor when his phone vibrated, and he tugged it from his shirt pocket, quickly accepting Chad's call.

 _"We've pretty much combed the whole island by now,"_ he got right to the point. _"Where the heck could she be?"_

"I wish I knew," Nick sighed. He couldn't believe it was happening again, things were supposed to be different this time!

 _"Hey, Judy's_ nothing _like Emily,"_ Chad snapped; it didn't surprise him that the guy knew what he was thinking. _"She wouldn't do anything like this on purpose!"_

Nick had lost track of how many times he'd tried to tell himself that, but it was one of the few thoughts that refused to stay in his head. The drama with Emily had just deepened the wounds his brother and sister had left, and he was starting to doubt they'd ever fully heal.

 _"I can't tell you to forget about Emily,"_ Chad sounded as sympathetic as he did fed up. _"But I_ can _tell you that it's okay to stop blaming yourself for it."_

"It's not like I try to," he leaned on the table. There were the muffled sounds of a car door and voices on Chad's end of the line.

 _"Look, we're on our way back to the woods,"_ he said. _"We'll swing by and get you."_

The line clicked off. Nick sighed again, letting his phone fall to the table. His head had been pounding since he'd woken up, sprawled on the couch with no memory of getting there.

 _What the hell happened last night?_

He got up, grabbing a half-empty Sprite from the fridge on his way to the living room. He watched the street through the front window, seeing kids bundled up and playing in the melting snow. He could just see the opening to the cul-de-sac, envisioning the large willow standing on the bank of Fisherman's Creek. It all served as a reminder of the life, the family he could never get back.

 _Don't think about it,_ he told himself harshly. _If you get stuck again, you'll never find Judy._

He polished off the Sprite and crushed the bottle in his fist. He had to stay focused, and that meant forgetting the past, keeping the memories, the pain, locked up inside where he couldn't reach them.

 _It's for the best,_ he thought. _She's all that matters now._

He went for the door as a red SUV pulled into the driveway, stopping in his tracks when his hand started to shake. The bottle fell to the floor as his fingers spasmed; he doubled over, clutching his stomach as a searing pain ripped through him.

 _No, not this again!_

Loud, hoarse coughs rattled his chest, a hand flying to his mouth as a violent burning surged up his throat. There was a vibrant red stand on his palm when he pulled it away, his pads slick and shining with sweat. Tears spilled from his eyes. The knock at the door a deafening echo. His vision blurred, the world fading, tilting as the door flew open.

"Nick!"

* * *

Nick groaned, feeling like a thousand white-hot needles had been jammed through his skull. A stale, bitter taste clung to the back of his throat, his mouth rough and dry as sandpaper. He could feel something flaking at the corner of his lips, his whole body stuff and sore. Slowly, he opened his burning eyes, hating how long it took his vision to clear.

"What…happened?" his voice was weak and quiet. An ocelot with pale brown eyes leaned over him, grabbing the damp compress that had fallen from his forehead.

"We found you unconscious," Chloe said softly. She was his cousin, Dante's, girlfriend, fresh out of med school."It's been two hours."

He sat up, shrugging her hands away when she tried to push him back down.

"Two hours?" it had felt like seconds. She nodded.

"We knew something was wrong when we heard that crash."

They looked toward a small pile of shattered porcelain on the floor, a recreation of a famous statue his mother had bought on the family's last trip to Italy, just a few weeks before the accident.

"What are you doing here?" he turned back to her.

"Don't you remember?" she pulled a folded sheet of paper from her pocket, a copy of the Missing Mammal poster he'd been looking at earlier. "Judy's still missing, everyone else has gone ahead to look for her."

The weight of fear and unease settled back in Nick's stomach, making the nausea worse. He stood quickly, fighting back a wave of dizziness.

"You shouldn't be up yet," she reached for him. "You still have to—"

"I have to help find her," he went for the front door, barely making it a step before needing to lean against the wall to keep his balance.

"You're not going anywhere," Chloe said sternly. "You need to be more careful about this, Nick, you were in the ICU for almost a month last time this happened. Do you really want to go through that again?"

He groaned, clutching his head.

"I don't care," he managed, his voice shaking. The dizziness won out, forcing him to his knees. How much longer would he have to endure this? "I just hate feeling _useless_ like this."

"Oh, Nick," she knelt next to him. "You're not useless, but you can't keep pushing yourself."

"What about Judy?" he'd never felt so desperate. "I have to help find her!"

"And you will," she brought them both to their feet, then led him back to the couch. "But only _after_ you've gotten some rest."

He stared at her, then laid down and closed his eyes; she put the compress back in place.

"Just a couple hours," she told him. "Then we can go help look for her."

* * *

Nick was starting to regret going out on his own. Chloe had kept her promise, driving him to the forest after he'd slept a few more hours, but it meant it had been almost sunset when they'd arrived, the rest of the group already deep in the search. His flashlight had died shortly after he'd gotten started, making him grateful for his night vision. Judy was the only thing on his mind; what could've happened to her? Would she be all right when they found her? The images flashing through his mind twisted his heart: her locked up in a cold, filthy room, lying abused and bloodied in a flooded ditch. He gulped.

 _She's fine,_ he tried to assure himself. _She has to be._

He stopped by an oak tree, an old memory surfacing at the sight of the large knothole at the base. The wind had started howling, rain coming fast and hard in icy sheets; he'd wandered too far from the manor, and had crawled in the hole to take shelter from the storm. He'd hugged himself as he'd wept in fear, shaking from the cold. It had been a few days before his eighth birthday, when he'd woken up in the hospital with a sore head ahd a shattered leg.

 _Stop it!_

He pounded the bark, anger coursing through him. He started running, going blind until he tripped over a root, tumbling through the frosty undergrowth. Tears trickled down his cheeks, sobs leaking through his gasps for breath.

 _Males ain't supposed to cry,_ his brother's voice snapped in his head. _It means they're pussies._

 _So what if I cry,_ he slammed a fist into the soil. _Better than being empty._

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, pausing when he heard a dying echo. He got to his feet, following the voice to a long, deep hole in the ground, barely wide enough for a medium mammal to climb through. It had been a natural airshaft for the long abandoned mine, now just a trap for unlucky creatures. He covered his nose against the dank air that filtered from it as he walked carefully around, the nearly full moon shining through a break in the thick clouds. He gasped, seeing a lone, filthy figure huddled against a fallen tree, and hurried toward them.

"Judy!"

He fell on his knees next to her, hugging her tightly. She was trembling, ice cold to the touch, and he realized she wore nothing but her underwear. How long had she been exposed like that? He pulled off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders, her face tight with pain as she slowly pushed her arms through the sleeves.

"N-Nick…" she was crying, her voice low, hoarse and shaking. She fell against him. "Take me home…please."

"I'm taking you to the hospital," he picked her up as he stood,so she reclined in his arms. "We have to make sure you're okay."

* * *

Judy had only managed to utter a few, disconnected details on their way to the hospital, guzzling a small bottle of water before passing out. Nick got up from his chair in the waiting room, pacing to try and dispel his nervous energy. His clothes were covered in flaking mud and small, scattered splotches of blood, his half-dried fur sticking to his skin. He'd used the last of his cell battery to text the rest of the gang, letting them know he'd found her, that he and Chloe had made sure she was safe. He knew Judy didn't need him anymore, that he could come back after she'd recovered some, but he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet.

"Nick?"

He looked to see Dr. Khan by the reception desk, the tablet he held almost comically small in his thick hands. He'd been the Wilde family doctor for as long as Nick could remember, his thinning, white-streaked black fur slicked back between his ears, his sharp, dark brown eyes filled with worry.

"How's Judy?" Nick swallowed. The aging badger shook his head.

"Considering what she's just been through, I'd say she's doing very well," he glanced at his tablet. "She's very dehydrated, has sustained several hairline fractures to her ankle and wrist, and has developed quite the case of pneumonia."

Nick could tell he was hiding something, but decided it wasn't worth worrying about. He followed the doctor down the hall, to a smaller waiting area across from several white doors, the furthest decorated with a large purple flower. The same room he usually ended up in.

"She's asleep now," Khan nodded toward it. "You'll have to stay out here until she wakes up, please don't disturb the other patients."

Nick nodded absently, watching the older male walk away from the corner of his eye. He glanced at the nurses' station, knowing it wouldn't stay empty for long. He went to Judy's door and slipped inside, shutting it silently behind him. She was lying in the bed closest to the window, her left wrist bound in a red cast, her ears flopped across the pillow. Two IVs pierced her right arm, and there was a breathing tube in her nose. Her breath rasped faintly, her heart monitor giving out a quick, steady beat that was almost calming.

He went to the chair beside her bed and sagged into it, his thoughts drifting between her and the extra-credit work waiting at home. The assignments were more a distraction than anything, even if they didn't help for long.

 _Thinking about the past won't get you anywhere,_ it just made it impossible to think clearly. He stood, going to the window and peeking past the drab white curtain, the sunrise was a slim line of amber along the distant hills, the cloudy sky pale violet and blue. He turned at a soft moan, Judy rubbing her eyes before looking around with a dazed expression.

"What happened?" she sat up slowly, blinking in the dim light. "Where are we?"

"I found you in the woods last night," he sat back down. "Chloe and I brought you to the hospital."

She looked at him.

"The last thing I remember is climbing out of that pit," she swallowed hard. "I don't even know how long I was down there."

His eyes narrowed, and he stared blankly at the sheet that covered her legs. She reached for him, stopping short of touching his hand.

"I'm trying to figure out who'd be crazy enough to do this," he murmured. "But I can't think of anyone."

"I won't be much help," she scooted closer, stopping when her IVs went taut. "They both wore masks, I have no idea who they were."

"Did you recognize anything else about them?"

She gave a weak shrug.

"I thought one of them sounded familiar, but I doubt I'd know if I heard them again," she smoothed her ears over her shoulder. "And it looks like I'll never find out what you had planned for Sunday."

He chuckled a bit.

"I don't care about that," he brushed her cheek. "I'm just glad you're okay."

She blushed, her gaze darting to his lips. He smiled.

"One thing's for sure," he smoothed his thumb over a scrape. "You're still the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

He leaned closer, until she covered his hand with hers. He froze then, a cold lump forming in his chest when he pulled away, staring at the blank tile floor.

"I'm sorry, Judy," he muttered quickly. "I-I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?" she gaped fearfully at him. "Nick?"

"I can't explain it," it wasn't a total lie. "I-I'll see you at school."

He hurried out, nodding briefly to Kara as he passed.

 _You coward!_

* * *

Judy reached for the call button as Kara stalked toward her, the older doe wrenching it from her grasp when she finally got hold of it. She cried out as the doe slapped her, wishing the cuts on her cheek had been severe enough to bandage. At least it would have offered some kind of padding.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kara demanded, just quiet enough that no one in the hall could hear. "I was nice enough to give you that damn phone back before I left, and you weren't even smart enough to keep it with you!"

Judy glared tearfully at her, awkwardly holding her stinging face.

"It wasn't my fault," she snapped through gritted teeth. Her jaw had already been sire from the bruise she'd woken up with in the pit, and she wished her free wrist weren't broken right now. "I was kidnapped, kept unconscious for days, and then dumped in the middle of nowhere!"

Kara scoffed.

"You and your lame excuses," she slapped her across the other cheek, and at least this one was bandaged. "The next time I call, you sure as hell better answer, or you'll be lucky to wake up in the morning!"

Judy growled, shoving her back with what strength she had. Kara stumbled, her grip loosening as she focused on keeping her balance.

"I'm done listening to your threats, you stupid bitch," she said, much more confidently than she felt. She snatched the call button and pressed it, smirking smugly when Dr. Khan came, nearly dwarfing the older rabbit.

"Is everything all right?" he asked. Judy shook her head, leveling a cold stare at her stepmother.

"I want her thrown out of here, please," she stated calmly. "And make sure she can;t come back."

Kara glowered at her.

"You ungrateful little cunt!" she stormed forward, yelling in indignation when the badger grabbed her, easily tugging her back toward him. "After everything I've done for you!"

Judy gave her an uncaring stare.

"Like you always told us, _Mom,_ " she mocked flatly. "Life's never fair!"

She laid down as Khan and an orderly dragged the doe away, folding the thin pillow around her head to block out the fading stream of obscenities. It should have felt amazing, giving Kara a taste of her own medicine, but it was overshadowed by the pain she still felt, when she'd seen the look in Nick's eyes as he'd pulled away from her. Anger, fear, sadness and shame twisting together on his handsome face, before he'd slammed that flat mask of his back into place. What the hell was he hiding, and why did he refuse to trust her?

 _Nick…_

She squeezed her eyes shut, tears trickling freely down her face.

* * *

Nick ran his claws through the fur between his ears, enjoying the rush of hot water as it plastered his coat against his skin. He'd gone straight home from the hospital and had passed out in front of _Palazzo del sangue,_ one of the goriest films in Italian history. He hadn't noticed the title before putting it in, he'd just wanted to forget what had happened that morning. He'd tried so hard to be normal after what his brother and sister had done to him, only for it all to fall apart again with Emily. Ever since then, he'd kept his emotions locked away, too afraid the pattern would just repeat itself.

 _Judy's_ nothing _like Emily._

He knew that, but it didn't stop the fear. He shut off the water and grabbed a towel; the damp air in the bathroom reminded him of the Bahamas, of swimming and later surfing in that crystal blue water almost every summer he could remember. He'd gotten caught in a riptide once, while building a sandcastle by the shore, and the next thing he'd known, he was coughing up salt water on the deck of a motorboat, several strangers looking down at him with worried faces.

 _"Are you okay?" a girl asked. She was six, a large bow at the base of her red and white striped tail. He groaned, hugging himself._

 _"No," he coughed again, rubbing his throat. It felt like he'd eaten sandpaper, after swallowing a handful of rocks. "Where are we?"_

 _"On our boat," a boy said. He was five, his fur overgrown and messy between his large ears. "I'm Lance, that's Stephanie."_

 _He hacked up more seawater, staying on his knees._

 _"I'm Nick."_

He'd been a few weeks away from his fourth birthday; his parents hadn't realized he was gone until the Carters' boat had docked the next morning. That had been a stab to the heart, since he'd still clung to the hope that they'd cared about him, but he and Lance had been best friends ever since. He finished drying off, tossed the towel aside and pulled on dark green pajama pants, staring at his reflection as he picked up his comb. Messy russet and cream fur, big, dark green eyes that were so much like his mother's, a life's worth of scars peeking through his coat.

A small one on his cheek from a fall, the newer line in a small bald spot on his chin from stitches. Water dripped from his ear, running over old, messy bite marks on his right shoulder; a friend who'd lost it after eating a flower, and had nearly killed him. Then there was the myriad across his back, but the worst sat just above his left hip. His brother had tied him hand and foot to his bed when he'd been nine, stuffing a dirty sock in his mouth to muffle Nick's screams as he'd used a fine soldering iron to carve that spear-headed snake into his flesh, writhing through the jagged cracks of a shattered heart. The reek of cauterized skin and blood had been overwhelming, his small body quickly going numb from exhaustion.

 _I swear, Carson,_ he slammed the comb down, the bright orange plastic snapping when his fist tightened. _If I ever find you, I'm going to rip your fucking throat out!_

He threw the ruined comb away and grabbed his clothes, dumping them in a pile by his door. He dropped on his bed, snatching his phone from the nightstand, his mood souring further when he saw he had a new message.

 _"You're on thin ice, junior,"_ the digital voice snapped at him. _"Either you take care of our little issue, or I make sure the whole world knows what you_ really _are. Think about it."_

The number was blocked, the voice different, but he knew each of those calls came from the same person. They'd frightened him for a while, now little more than an annoyance.

 _Whatever,_ he let out a long breath, deleting it like the others. _I'll find them eventually, and remind them who they're screwing with._


	10. Chapter 10

Judy pulled out her history book and added it to the small pile in the crook of her arm, restlessly shuffling the foot not stuck in a walking boot. It was her first day back after being released from the hospital, and she'd never been so happy to be at school.

"You're doing well."

Nick stopped next to her, dressed in baggy black jeans and a tight red tank top. His headfur had been trimmed, his coat mussed and messy like he'd just rolled out of bed. She licked her lips, thinking he looked unbearably sexy.

"Uh, hey," she smiled nervously. "H-How's it going?"

His green eyes darted to a spot behind her.

"I've been meaning to talk to you," he started quietly. "About what happened at the hospital."

She went stiff, shutting her locker with more force than needed.

"Don't worry about it," she said tightly. "Its fine."

He walked with her, still looking unsure.

"What have I missed the last couple weeks?" she went on flatly, as they stopped outside Ms. Conny's room.

"A lot of review, from what I've heard," he drummed his fingers on his thigh. "You sure everything's okay?"

She scoffed.

"I told you, its fine," she glared at him. "Why wouldn't it be?"

He frowned.

"Judy," he sounded disappointed. "You know I can tell when you're lying."

"It's not a big deal," her voice was still harsh. "I'd tell you if something was wrong."

She left him in the hall, shoving down the guilt that bit at her.

 _He just saved my life,_ she thought. _I can't ask him to listen to my whining._

She sat down at the back of the room and tried to focus on the lesson, zoning out when it did end up just being review.

 _I really like him,_ she'd stopped trying to fight it in the hospital, since she hadn't had much to do besides think. _But I know it won't go anywhere, he's already been through too much._

She still wasn't exactly sure what had happened to him, but the details she'd managed to gather painted a hell that swallowed hers whole. Judy messed with her pencil, jotting random crap in her notebook to make it look like she was paying attention. She'd also started to remember what had happened after she'd been abducted, at least what she'd been conscious for, the memories breaking free of the fog in her brain when she'd seen those two lines. Of all the things that could have happened, why did it have to be that?

 _He looked so worried, though,_ she thought helplessly. _I know I should tell him, but he'll probably hate me after!_

She dropped her pencil, groaning softly as she buried her face in her arms.

 _What am I going to do?_

* * *

Coach Willis, a fairly bulky tigress, finished separating the rest of the girls, then turned to Judy and gave her a brief once-over. Judy wasn't sure why she'd bothered getting in her uniform in the first place, since it was clear she couldn't participate.

"Don't want you messing yourself up any more," she pointed a thick finger at the edge of the field. "Might as well park it."

Judy sighed in relief, stretching out on the bottom row of the sun-warmed metal bleachers. Her PE class was in the middle of their softball unit, one of the only sports she couldn't stand. She was at the tail end of a nap when a shadow passed over her, her stomach tightening at Nick's small laugh.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Better than running around in the mud," she sat up when he moved next to her, lightly panting. The boys' class was using the next field for their soccer unit, and as usual, Jack was dominating. Judy looked anywhere but Nick, not wanting him to see the worry and fear in her eyes.

"You've barely looked at me all day," he said at last. "What's going on?"

"You were the one acting weird this morning," she reminded him, still not facing him. "And I already said that I don't want to talk about it."

He was quiet for a while, then brushed her wrist, making her flinch.

"You keep thinking about what happened, don't you?"

He made it sound so simple. She scoffed.

"I'm just an open book to you, aren't I?"

She got up, ready to storm away when he took her hand.

"You've been through a lot of shit lately," his grip tightened slightly. "You don't have to keep everything bottled up."

 _I could say the same thing about you,_ she snapped silently.

"I'm not bottling anything up," she sat back down, the fingers on her other hand awkwardly splayed because of her cast, and finally looked at him. "Why can't you leave it alone?"

He kept hold of her hand, lowering his voice.

"Why can't you let mammals worry about you?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she tugged her hand away when Coach Willis blew her whistle, signaling it was time to hit the showers. Tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked them away. "Look, I know you're just trying to help, but I really can't be around you right now, I'm sorry."

She could feel his stare burning into her back as she hurried off, her heart twisting and dropping to her stomach.

 _I can't let him find out about this,_ she told herself. _He can't know, he just can't!_

* * *

 _She's watching that thing_ again _?_

Lance peered into the living room. Every time he'd stayed at their dad's place the last few weeks, Stephanie had been glued to the couch, watching the news story she'd recorded a month ago on mute. Their mother was the local anchormammal, and he recognized the clip that started her weekly coverage of the recent murders. They'd been happening for years, but no one had any idea who might be behind them, and the police didn't seem interested in solving the cases at all. He was about to leave when a picture flashed onscreen: Judy sitting in a wheelchair outside the hospital, smiling tightly, almost angrily. The tan rabbit crouching a bit to hug her had the same expression, and the look in her eyes sent ice right down his spine.

"I can't believe this," Stephanie muttered furiously, clutching the pillow in her lap. "How the hell could he do this to me?"

Lance stepped closer, careful to stay out of her sight.

"Falling in that damn pit should've killed her," she went on through gritted teeth, nearly rocking in her seat. "I told them to make sure she was dead! I can't believe this!"

He stopped dead, he couldn't have just heard that right.

"Guess I'll just have to take care of that bitch myself," she wrenched open the side table drawer and pulled out their father's gun, nearly dropping it when Lance snatched her wrist.

"Dad's been looking for that all weekend," he said. "Weird that you knew exactly where it was."

She glared at him, and he tightened his grip when she tried to shake him off.

"You're also really interested in that old news story," he nodded to the television. The image had changed to a shot of ceiling damage from a burst pipe at the town library. "Question is, why?"

She glowered at his fingers.

"A current event project for government," she snapped. "Now let go of me!"

He chuckled coldly.

"You know I don't believe that," he snatched the gun from her and threw it in their grandmother's giant knitting basket, out of her reach unless she got past him. "What have you been planning?"

The fear that had started to leak into her eyes drained, replaced with the coldest, darkest rage he had ever seen.

"I'm going to kill that bitch!" she shouted. "She ruined my life!"

She tried to get loose again, and he slammed her against the wall, his eyes blazing as his hands clamped around her neck.

"She never did a damn thing to you," he growled, ignoring the sting as she clawed at his wrists. "You're just a pathetic, jealous little—"

He was drowned out by her shriek, releasing her as a sharp pain shot through his arm. He stared at the penknife stuck in his bicep, grabbing her tail when she tried to get past him. She gagged when he jammed a knee into her back, collapsing breathless on the floor; he planted a foot on her spine to keep her there.

"You're not going anywhere, sis," he snarled quietly. "Until you tell me what the fuck you did to Judy!"

She squirmed weakly, panting as she glared at him over her shoulder.

"I didn't do anything," she gasped. "Eric called me after he dumped her in that stupid hole, saying how good it felt to screw her!"

He stared blankly at her, then clenched his eyes shut.

"You know I don't believe that," he glowered at her again. He bent down and grabbed her wrists, yanking her to her feet. She started fighting again, throwing her head back in an attempt to break his nose. He dodged it, using the opportunity to knock her out, keeping her propped limply against his side as he reached for his phone.

 _She's not getting away with this!_

* * *

Lance watched as Stephanie woke up, shivering on the thin, lumpy mattress and shielding her eyes from the sunlight piercing through the high window across from her narrow cot, bolted to the wall and floor. The window was too small for anyone bigger than a weasel to get through, set with bars that had a metal grate welded to them outside. It looked over the muddy exercise yard, scattered with dirty clumps of melting snow. The high cement fence glittered with embedded shards of broken glass, topped with curling strands of black razor wire. He could just see the corner of a watch tower at the edge of the view. The concrete walls of her little cell were chipped, scratched and scribbled on, a record of all the lowlifes who'd been there before hr.

"Never thought you'd end up here, did you?" he stood in the sterile hallway, wishing he couldn't smell the skunk inmate in the cell behind him, slumped and snoring against the barred door. Stephanie glared hatefully at him.

"How the hell did I get here?" she demanded, sitting stiffly on the edge of the cot. He snorted.

"How do you think? I dragged your ass here after you assaulted me."

He flashed the bandage on his arm, wincing when he saw the dried blood line in the center, then shoved his hands in his pockets. She scoffed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she crossed her arms. "I didn't do anything!"

He stared at her.

"I called Eric," he started flatly. "He sold you out."

She went stiff, then pounding the mattress.

"That fucking coward!" she seethed. "I said he'd join her In that pit if he squealed, and now I'm stuck in this shithole!"

Lance shrugged.

"You could've avoided all this," he said. "All you had to do was leave Judy alone."

"As if!" she jumped to her feet. "That little slut ruined my life, she deserved everything she got!"

He couldn't stand the look on her face as she listed out all the ways Judy had ruined things for her, the pride and self-righteousness in her tone making his gut twist. She'd been like this since Nick had first rejected her back when she'd been in ninth grade, and while he'd had his suspicions, he'd never thought she'd actually go to this length to get what she wanted. He forced himself to listen as she then went over every phase of the plan, never once showing an ounce of remorse.

"How long am I going to be stuck here?" she asked once she'd finished. "I have to set up for the art show at school tomorrow!"

His eyes narrowed as he slowly pulled his hand from his pocket, showing her their mother's audio recorder, then played back the start of what she had just told him.

"With any luck, you'll be 'stuck here' for the rest of your life."

* * *

Nick rolled out from under the Thunderbird he'd been working on, his coveralls splashed with oil and grease. He wiped his hands on the stained, ratty towel thrown over his tool box before pulling out his earbuds, grinning sheepishly when he saw Luca scowling down at him.

"Uh, hey _zio_ ," he got to his feet, making a half-hearted effort to clean himself off. The fur on his neck stood on end when he saw Lance standing behind the other tod, the terrified look on his friend's face, his nose pale. "What's going on?"

Luca gripped his shoulder.

"You're on break, kid," there was an underlying fear in the calm words; Nick swallowed hard as the old male walked off.

"Its Judy," Lance said, nodding toward Luca's empty office. Nick shut the door behind them as Lance put his backpack on the paper-strewn desk, taking his phone from the front pocket. "Her kidnapper confessed, and I made a copy of it before I handed my mom's recorder to the cops."

He brought up a video, cranked the volume, and hit play.

 _"I called Eric,"_ it was a bit muffled, but clear enough. _"He sold you out."_

 _"That fucking coward!"_ there was no mistaking Stephanie's angry screech. _"I said he'd join her in that pit if he squealed, and now I'm stuck in this shithole!"_

Nick's jaw tightened as it continued, his fists clenched and shaking at his sides. The air suddenly felt dry, several papers rustling on the desk.

"Where is she?" he growled when it ended. Lance gulped.

"I-In a cell," he rubbed a stained bandage on his arm. "I caught her watching the news story about it, saying she'd have to finish the job herself. When I confronted her, she stabbed me."

Nick couldn't understand how they'd never made the connection; Stephanie was the only one any of them knew who was insane enough to come up with a plan like this, and the only one manipulative enough to get anyone to go along with it. What made it worse was that she hadn't always been that way; what the hell had happened to the fun, goofy girl he'd met on their family's boat? He pushed out a sigh, knowing what happened when he lost his temper, and forced himself to calm down.

"What about Eric?" his voice was tight and quiet. Lance tucked his phone in his backpack.

"I knew you'd want to deal with him first," he dug around in the largest pocket. "I found this in Stephanie's room at our Dad's place, she must have kept it as some kind of trophy."

He held out a plain box, and Nick wiped his hands on his coveralls before taking it. His eyes widened when he saw _Judy_ carved crudely inside the lid, where the red velvet lining had started peeling away from the lacquered wood.

"I'll give it to Judy next time I see her," he set it on the desk. "I mean, if it happens any time soon."

Lance looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

Nick shrugged, then his shoulders slumped.

"She said she couldn't be around, but wouldn't say why," it still hurt to think about, but he supposed he deserved it, after how he'd treated her. Lance zipped his backpack, then curled the strap over his shoulder.

"I'll get Chad to talk to her, I doubt Jack or Skye could get it out of her."

They shared their old handshake, and he tightened his grip before letting go.

"Kick that guy's ass for her."

Nick nodded.

"You can count on it."

* * *

Eric plopped down on the cheap bench in the locker room, wishing he'd remembered they'd be stuck doing the President's Fitness Test in PE today. He should've known skipping class Monday would backfire on him. He took a long swig from his water bottle, capped it and dropped it in his backpack, tensing when he heard the lock click on the door to the hallway. Hadn't he been alone just a second ago? His stomach dropped when Nick turned the corner, his face blank, his eyes icy.

"I thought you were low before," his voice was empty. "But this takes it to a whole new level."

He crossed the room with slow, deliberate strides.

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about," he went on. "You thought you could get away with it, didn't you?"

Eric gulped.

"Get away with what?"

Nick chuckled darkly, the grabbed his shirt, yanking him to his feet.

"You. Raped. My. Girl."

Eric went stiff.

"No, I didn't," he shook his head, grabbing Nick's wrists. The fox was a head shorter than him, how could he be this scared? "I-I didn't—!"

"Cut the bullshit!" Nick shoved him against the lockers. "Stephanie sold you out, dumbass!"

He stopped trying to fight, knowing Nick was right. Stephanie had never thought twice about passing the blame, if it meant protecting herself. He let go of Nick's wrists, letting his hands drop to his sides.

"S-She said she'd kill me if I didn't do it," he knew it sounded pathetic. "That she'd throw me in that same she made us leave Judy in!"

Nick's grip loosened the slightest bit, was it possible the guy actually felt sorry for him? He wanted to tell the truth, the he'd despised every second of it, but his jaw locked, and he felt that twisted part of his brain take over, the dark voice in his head he'd fought against for as long as he could remember.

"Bitch had no idea what she was doing," he was actually laughing! "It was like fucking a sixth grader."

He lowered his voice, feeling his lips curl in a smug grin.

"She didn't fight," he went on slowly. "She _let_ me screw her, almost like she wanted it."

Nick's jaw clenched, his fists starting to shake.

"Shut up."

"It was so weird," Eric kept talking, why couldn't he stop? "I could hear her screaming, _begging_ me to keep hurting her like that."

Nick's bristled tail snapped, and it felt like the air were filled with electricity. Eric heard himself laugh again.

"You should've seen her face when I finished," he went on. "Like she still wanted _more_."

"Shut up!" Nick threw him back against the lockers, the lights overhead starting to flicker wildly. The rage in his eyes was clashing with desperation, with fear. "She's not like that!"

Eric felt lower than dirt, but he was powerless to stop.

"You don't know that for sure."

Nick shook his head, letting the cat go as he stepped back.

"She wouldn't do that," he sounded desperate to convince himself. "She wouldn't!"

Eric didn't realize he'd thrown a punch until the fox dodged it, staring at him in shock.

"I'm going to kill you," Eric shouted. "That's the only way to keep you away from her!"

Nick grunted when he landed a hard blow to his shoulder.

"What are you talking about?" he got in a sharp jab to Eric's chin, then a sucker punch to his gut. "I never touched her!"

Eric grabbed his stomach, panting as he glared at the younger male through the fur hanging in his eyes. Nick sidestepped his next move, the momentum sending crashing into the lockers.

"Whatever Stephanie told you was a lie," Nick went on. "That's all she ever does!"

Eric staggered to his feet, then ran forward, Nick's fist connecting neatly with his cheek.

"I didn't want to hurt you," he said flatly. "But it looks like the only way you'll listen."

He caught Eric's wrist, twisting his arm behind his back as he forced him to his knees, the hold tightening until a wet pop cut through Eric's pained shouts. He stumbled when Nick shoved him away, his eyes misting as he clutched the limb hanging uselessly at his side. Nick stared at him with cold contempt on his face, pierced with the smallest shard of pity.

"Stephanie's been using you right from the start," he said harshly. "She never gave a shit about you!"

Eric froze, the words breaking through the fog that had covered his brain. He didn't want to believe it, that the girl he'd loved since first grade had only ever seen him as a tool, muscle to manipulate in order to get what she really wanted."

"Judy doesn't give up," Nick went on, the ghost of a smile touching his lips. "And that makes her a threat."

Eric shrank away when he came closer, going stiff when the other boy knelt, crying out when he quickly popped the joint back into place. They'd almost been friends at one point, before Stephanie had lost her mind; Eric turned away, his voice breaking as tears started to slip down his cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry," he muttered brokenly. "I'm so sorry!"

Nick looked at him, then sighed.

"Judy's the one you should really be saying that to," he got up and went to the door, pausing after he unlocked it to glance over his shoulder. "And next time, pick your side more carefully."

He stalked out, the clack when it closed echoing through the empty room.

* * *

Judy grunted when her ankle gave out again, sending her sprawling to the rough track. It had only been a week since she'd gotten her casts taken off, and she was already tired of having to 'ease back into things,' as the doctor has put it. Chad jogged over and helped her up, wincing when he saw the large, bleeding cut on her knee.

"That looks like it hurts."

She leaned on him as she limped to the fence, then plopped down against it, pulling her ears over her shoulder to keep the chainlink from digging into them.

"I'm used to it," she answered, letting her hands drop in her lap. "I've always been a klutzy runner, its why I never did track."

He chuckled.

"You just need some more practice," he sat next to her, pulling a crumpled tissue from his pocket. "No one's perfect the first time out."

She huffed.

"Speak for yourself," she took the tissue and pressed it to her cut. From what she'd heard, he'd been a track and field star since sixth grade. "You don't have lead feet."

He laughed, then sat back, stretching his legs out; smooth tan fur covering lean muscles, just like the rest of him.

"You always come out here alone?" she asked, hoping to get her mind off the butterflies starting to flutter in her stomach. She'd been dealing with those since Nick had walked out on her at the hospital, since Chad had come around to visit her the most before she'd been cleared to go home. He shrugged.

"I do best when I think no one's watching," he flashed a smile, then winked at her. "Less chance of a cute girl distracting me."

Judy blushed; he could be pretty charming when he tried.

"What got you started on it?"

He hummed thoughtfully, ruffling his headfur.

"I don't like soccer or baseball," he said at least. "And it beats that lacrosse crap Nick does."

She readjusted the wad of paper, watching as the pale pink was stained crimson. She'd joined the rest of the gang at several of the lacrosse team's home games, marveling at the speed and skill Nick showed on the field. It also amazed her how aggressive he got, when he was usually so sweet and gentle.

"Lance and I keep asking ourselves why he joined the team, he usually hates it when mammals see him like that," Chad shuddered a bit. "He's pretty scary when he gets pissed, but it takes a lot for him to get to that point."

"Oh," she turned away, staring at her ankle, then her wrist. Over two months had passed since she'd dragged herself out of that pit, and just the thought of that night still gave her nightmares.

"Keeping it to yourself won't help anything," he said suddenly. "You need to tell someone."

She shook her head.

"I can't," her voice cracked.

"Why not?"

She shook her head again, her chin starting to quiver.

"Because it would just make things worse!"

She jumped up and tried to bolt, barely getting a step before he snatched her hand.

"Judy, you're not making sense," he pulled her back toward him. "Why would it make things worse?"

She buried her face in her free hand, sinking to her knees as she sobbed; he knelt and hugged her, letting her cry into his thin gray shirt.

"I-I _can't_ tell Nick," she stuttered, her words muffled. "I just can't!"

"Why not?" he took her shoulders, looking down at her. "Judy, what are you talking about?"

She sniffled, taking several shaking breaths.

"Because I'm pregnant!"

* * *

Eric stopped short, gaping through the fence at the track. He'd cut through the baseball field on his way home, hoping to find the water bottle he'd left there after practice. Now it dropped from his hand, the loose lid popping off, warm water splashing his foot as he tried to process Judy's words. He couldn't have heard that right!

 _That's crazy,_ he stepped back; it wasn't possible, he'd taken every precaution in the book, they weren't even the same species! _This can't be happening!_

He sprinted off before he could hear anything else; Stephanie would kill him for this, he just knew it. He ran until he couldn't see the school, tears stinging his eyes as he stumbled to a stop to catch his breath.

 _Its mine,_ he thought, horrified. _Oh God, I know it is!_

As if what he'd already put Judy through hadn't been enough, now she had this to deal with; it was so unfair, she didn't deserve any of it!

 _Then_ why _did you agree to do it?_

He stopped cold, why had he agreed? Because of his feelings for Stephanie, that she'd threatened to end his own miserable life if he hadn't? Even reason that came to mind made him feel worse, like the scum he knew he was. There had to be some way to fix this, he thought frantically, there just had to be.

 _But what,_ he asked himself. _What could I do?_

He thought back to his fight with Nick, grabbing his shoulder as fresh fear coursed through him. They'd known each other their whole lives, and he'd never once seen Nick that angry; a dislocated arm would be the least of his problems if that guy found out, and he knew he'd deserve every second of it.

 _I'm sorry, Judy,_ he gulped, keeping his back to the school. _I'm so sorry. I'll find a way to make it up to you, I promise._

* * *

Judy shied away from Chad after her admission, hating the stunned look on his face.

"Are you sure?" he asked haltingly. She nodded, still keeping her distance, waiting for him to say something.

"I…don't really know what to say," he shoved out a breath. "Have you told anyone else?"

"No," she sat back down, pulling her knees to her chest. "I don't want anyone else to know.

"Why not?" he got on his knees next to her. She scoffed.

"If I told Lance or Skye, the whole town would know by tomorrow, Jack would tell me to keep it and Nick would," she trailed off, crying again as she buried her face in her arms. "Nick would hate me!"

Chad took her shoulder.

"What the hell gave you that idea?"

She sucked in a breath.

"What other reaction is there?" she demanded brokenly, glaring tearfully at him. "It's _my_ fault it happened!"

He stared at her, then scowled.

"Did you agree to go with whoever kidnapped you?" he asked. She sniffled, half-heartedly wiping her eyes.

"No…"

"And did you ask for what happened to you?" he went on.

"No, but—"

"'But' nothing," he gripped her arms. "You didn't ask for any of it, so how could any of it be your fault?"

She gaped at him, then threw herself back at his chest, hugging him tightly as she sobbed weeks' worth of fear and pain into his shirt.

"None of this is your fault," he repeated softly. "The only guilty ones are the assholes who did this to you."

She hiccuped.

"Y-You really think so?"

"I know it," he ran a thumb lightly over her wet cheek, then leaned forward, gently kissing her. She jerked back, stunned.

"Chad, what," she faltered stupidly. "What was _that_?"

A hint of red touched his ears.

"I know you and Nick are into each other," he said quietly. "But I really like you, too."

He moved to kiss her again, and she wasn't sure why she returned it, but her hand slipped to the back of his neck, her fingers combing through his short scruff. He went stiff when she licked his lip, then pulled away.

"You sure you don't want to talk about what happened?" he asked. She shook her head, knowing she looked as hurt as she felt. Had he really just said all of that to make her confess?

"No," she got to her feet, her fists clenching before going limp. "I want to forget it ever happened."

She jogged away, the bloodied tissue falling to the sun-warmed track.

* * *

 _Note: I never even saw a police station or prison outside of a screen until we moved a few years ago, so I have no idea if the one I came up with is at all accurate. I was way too lazy to bother researching it..._


	11. Chapter 11

_Just a warning, this chapter includes some pretty harsh scenes, including a miscarriage and suicide._

* * *

"You know, ignoring him is a pretty crappy thing to do."

Skye glared at Judy; the other girl shrugged, flipping a page in her calculus book. They'd been planning the study sleepover all week, but Judy was starting to wish she hadn't come.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Skye shoved the book aside.

"You haven't looked at Nick in a month," she sat on the edge of the bed. "And I want to know why."

Judy sat up and crossed her legs, smoothing out her ruffled fur.

"He's just been a jerk."

Skye gaped at her.

"How can you say that? He practically saved your life!"

Judy fingered her bracelet, a delicate gold chain with a beautifully engraved nameplate, another piece of her mother's jewelry, one of the only things she had now that her jewelry box was gone. She was sure Kara had sold it all to help fund her drinking habit, those bottles of wine hadn't been cheap.

"It's just," she swallowed hard. "When I think about him now, I feel guilty."

Skye laid across the foot of the bed, her purple pajama top riding up slightly.

"Because you made out with Chad?"

Judy blanched.

"How'd you find out about that?" she stammered.

"Please," Skye turned and reached over the footboard, grabbing a plush kit fox from the decorative trunk in front of her bed and holding it on her stomach. "He's liked you since day one, did you really think he'd be able to keep something like that to himself?"

Judy smiled weakly when Skye's new duckling waddled its way up the small ramp hooked to the sideboard, then flopped clumsily into her lap, curling into a little fluffy gray ball.

"I guess you're right," she picked at a loose thread on the pink and white striped comforter. "But I can't stop thinking about what happened to me…"

"That wasn't your fault," Skye said sternly, the toy tumbling to the floor as she sat up. "You didn't ask for any of that to happen to you!"

Judy winced, trying to take comfort in the duckling's soft feathers and quiet peeping; she could feel Skye's stare burning into her, biting her lip when she felt tears sting her own.

"Chad said the same thing," she sighed. "I don't know why I can't get that through my thick head."

"I don't, either,"Skye scooted closer. The duckling squirmed out of Judy's lap and scampered across the bed, settling on one of the pillows. Judy shivered, rubbing her arms.

"I don't know what to do…"

Skye groaned again.

"The first thing is to tell Nick why you've been ignoring him," her face softened. "He cares about you, Judy, just like we do."

Judy bit her lip.

"How could he once he finds out? H-He'll probably—"

"Kick Eric's ass again," she grinned slightly. "And this time, Jack and I will record it for you."

Judy blinked.

"Wait, he did what?"

"Lance told Nick what happened," she clarified. "How he got Stephanie to admit she and Eric were involved in the whole thing."

Judy toyed with her bracelet, tracing the letters of her mother's name with a claw, then barely looked up.

"You really think I should tell him?"

"Yes," Skye nodded firmly. "He'll be in the music room during lunch on Monday; it's always empty, so you can do it then."

"O-Okay," Judy swallowed, still feeling unsure. "Guess I will."

* * *

Nick had lost track of how many times he'd checked his phone. Jack had texted him before school that morning, saying to meet him in the music room during lunch. It was almost time for sixth period.

 _Least this wasn't a complete waste of time,_ he tightened a string on his guitar, it had sounded off for days. _What's going on with this thing?_

He was surprised to see Judy when the door finally opened; she ducked back slightly, then came in.

"Hey, Judy," he strummed another chord. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, hey Nick," she stopped a few feet away from him. "H-How's it going?"

"Fine," he looked at her, what was she so nervous about? "What's up with you?"

"Oh, nothing," she brushed a limp ear over her shoulder. She seemed determined to look anywhere but him. "Uh, what are you doing here?"

"Jack wanted me to meet him," he glanced at the phone in his shirt pocket. "But I don't think he's coming."

She kept fidgeting, then her shoulders slumped, her hands falling to her sides. She sighed heavily.

"Jack didn't text you," she admitted. "Skye used his phone because she wanted me to talk to you."

"About what?"

She clinched her eyes shut, her next words coming so fast he could barely understand her.

"Nick, I was pregnant!"

The string he'd been tightening snapped, whipping his hand.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he gaped at her, ignoring the sting. She gulped, shying further away from him.

"I-It was after midnight," she started quietly. "I woke up when Skye texted me, saying she was on the porch and needed my help, but when I opened the door, it wasn't her."

 _Judy grunted weakly, barely aware of the hard, bulky shoulder digging into her stomach; she felt so heavy, she could barely keep her eyes open._

 _"We're going to have_ a lot _of fun," the distant vibration of a laugh. "And best part is that we can be as loud as we want."_

 _She bounced against her captor's back, the muffled creak of wood resounding in her ears as she hit something soft, seeing the vague outline of a light flicker before everything went black._

I don't know where we went, but I was drugged on the way there," she shivered. "The next thing I really remember is climbing out of that pit, I don't know how long I'd been wandering around when you found me."

Nick set down his guitar and went to her side, hating how she flinched when he touched her hand.

"It sounds like you still haven't told me everything," he didn't know why he cared about that. "What else happened?"

He froze when she pressed herself to his side, crying into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Nick," she said brokenly. "I'm so sorry!"

"Hey, hey," he hugged her gently. Trying to keep the fear and anger from his voice. She shouldn't have to deal with this! "You don't have anything to be sorry about—"

"Yes, I do!" her head shot up. "I was going to have that baby, Nick! How can you not be pissed at me?!"

He brushed her forehead.

"It was your choice, Judy," he frowned. "But you said 'was,' what happened?"

Her eyes widened, her words barely audible.

"I…I lost…"

 _Someone grabbed her from behind, her blood going cold when she recognized the grip. She turned to see Eric Stalker, his pale blue eyes clouded, his jaw tight. Her heart pounded as he bent closer, his lips nearly touching her ear._

 _"I won't make you go through with it," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I'm so sorry."_

 _He shoved her toward the stairs, and she lost her balance, tumbling and crashing into the wall. Several girls in the hall started laughing, two of them pushing her down the other flight as she struggled to get to her feet. She slammed against the floor, a deep, cramping pain flaring through her as her eyes burned from keeping back tears. Someone gasped, pointing to the blood starting to stain the front of her skirt._

 _"Oh my God, look!"_

Judy stared at the floor, her fingers tightening on his shirt. He ran a hand down her limp ears, then his fingers trailed to her damp cheek, and he tilted her chin back.

"I know it doesn't mean anything now," he said softly. "But I would've done whatever it took to stop all this, if I'd realized what had happened sooner."

He brushed a fresh tear from her eye, that familiar surge of panic rising when she put a trembling hand over his. He forced it down, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

"Don't be afraid to talk to me," he went on. "I promise, from now on, I'll always be here for you."

She sniffled, then managed a faint smile.

"I'm sorry I kept all this from you," she pulled a glossy black watch from her pocket and clasped it around his wrist, holding his hand in both of hers. "Thanks for saving me, and for putting up with me."

He chuckled, draping his arms around her.

"That's what I'm here for."

* * *

 _What the hell's wrong with me?_

Nick slowed to a stop when the light changed, the smooth purr of the engine dulled by the thoughts whirling through his head. He'd stayed late after his shift at Uncle Valerio's restaurant, enduring the tod's weekly speech about he worked too hard for a kid, the words laced with the wish his own sons had half their cousin's work ethic. He groaned, remembering Tino and Ricci's last prank, it had taken weeks to get all that dough cleaned up. He'd asked his uncle why he let them get away with so much, knowing he always got the same answer.

 _"Nothing's more important than family, Nick; in the end, they're all you have."_

 _Pfft, yeah right,_ Nick sped off when the light turned green. It was almost pitch black tonight, the only real light streaking down the empty street from his headlights. _Family, my ass._

Most of them had no idea what he'd been put through, the memories he still fought to bury. But they kept clawing their way back to the surface, turning into twisted nightmares; some nights saw him digging his father's old .32 from his closet, shaking and crying in terror as he pressed that cold muzzle to his skull. But he could never touch the trigger, forced to remember the promise he'd made to his parents two days before their deaths. That no matter how bad things got in the future, he would never give up.

 _They all broke their promises,_ he reminded himself. _But I'm too scared to break the only one I made._

He shook his head, trying to think about the good stuff in his life, the mammals who'd miss him, but only one face truly helped to lessen the pain. Bright, sparkling violet eyes, a big, sweet smile that took his breath away. It was amazing how quickly he'd fallen for her, that just the sound of her name made his heart start racing. He also knew she could do so much better, that he was one of the last guys who deserved her. Not that he'd ever be brave enough to tell her that.

* * *

Nick winced at the light shining in his eyes; he'd come to an hour ago in a hospital bed, his vision hazy, his body nearly unresponsive. His jaw felt like it was made of lead, but at least he could feel the pulse monitor clamped around his finger. Chloe clicked off her penlight and slid it in the pocket of her pink scrubs.

"You were in a car wreck," she answered his unspoken question. "You came in with a moderate concussion and several hairline fractures to your left forearm, but other than that, all you're looking at are some nasty bruises and cuts."

Nick shifted his arm as much as he could, seeing her name scrawled in silver across the knuckles of his dark blue cast; he could feel the row of stitches on his temple.

 _He gasped, jerking the wheel to the right. The black van surging toward him had broken headlights, the momentum when it hit sending him off the road. Runoff spilled down the steep embankment, the breaks useless as he slammed sidelong into a young tree. The narrow trunk snapped, branches tearing through the black canvas top of the convertible. He could feel the blood starting to trickle down his face, matting his fur, his arm crushed between his side and the dented door. He could still hear the fading echo of the van's engine as it sped away._

"You started puking pretty severely last night," Chloe went on. "So we gave you something for the nausea with your painkillers, they should be wearing off soon."

He looked at the cast again; he'd been eight last time he'd had one, forced to overhear as his father had asked for an amputation, thinking his leg had been too damaged to save. Now he had a calf and thigh full of metal and another scar to hide.

"Nick?"

He blinked, trying to sit up as Chloe turned off the pulse monitor and removed his cuff. He had to look away as she took out his IV.

"Who knows I'm here?"

"Chelsea actually found your car after the crash," she bandaged the spot. "She brought a change of clothes for you."

She nodded to the backpack sitting on the stool by his bed, the largest pocket partially unzipped.

"I have to check on some other patients, then we can get you discharged."

He nodded absently as she left, then grabbed the bag and started to dig through it. Remembering the crash had also dredged up memories of a soaking summer storm, then the Chief of Police himself had knocked on his grandparents' door in the middle of the night. Six years had passed since then, and he'd lost track of the sleep he'd missed thinking about that accident, and the promise he couldn't believe he'd been able to keep.

 _I can't take much more of this,_ he tugged on a pair of black sweats, then untied his hospital gown, hoping the wave of dizziness was just from the fading meds. It was awkward trying to pull his shirt on, but he managed it. _Wish someone would tell me what this is…_

He slung the bag over his shoulder, turning when he heard a small yawn.

"Nick?" a young coyote stood there in an oversized gray T-shirt, sleepily rubbing her mismatched baby blue and honey brown eyes. Chad's half-sister, recovering from her second kidney transplant. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Lilly," he knelt in front of her. "Why aren't you with the other kids?"

She yawned again, her dark green teddy bear slipping from her hand.

"I couldn't sleep."

He chuckled as she reached down to grab it, then picked her up with his good arm.

"You look pretty tired to me," he answered. "Does anyone know you're out here?"

She slumped against his shoulder, clutching her bear as she started losing the fight to keep her eyes open. He couldn't blame her for wanting to wander around, he'd it himself when he'd been stuck there as a kid. What worried him was how weak she still was, even if she didn't seem to notice. She was sound asleep when they reached the children's ward, to the relief of the nurses assigned there for the night. He watched as one of them tucked Lilly into bed, wondering if he'd ever be able to do the same with his kids.

 _Guess I'll just have to wait and see._

He sighed, then headed for the main lobby, where he found Chelsea chatting up some orderlies. She smiled and waved at him, excusing herself the conversation before hurrying over to him.

"I've been waiting all night," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Honestly? Like shit," he shrugged. "But I've been through worse."

"Don't I know it," she stood on her toes, gently tracing the cut on his forehead. He still flinched. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

* * *

The nights were getting warmer, the last of the snow and slush melting as leaves sprouted on the trees. A quarter moon was high in the sky, an unblinking eye that watched his every move.

 _What was I thinking?_

He shook his head; it had gotten so easy to act like nothing was wrong, and he wondered just how many lies he'd told with a straight face. His mind was always racing under that mask, focused on everything that could go wrong. There was also another concern, a detail he typically wouldn't have thought twice about.

Eight months had passed since he;d gotten the assignment, and he still couldn't neutralize the target. Death had never fazed him before, but the thought of hers made his stomach twist. How could he half let himself get so attached to her? She didn't know anything about him, only the image he projected, but even so, she seemed to truly care for him, a concept he'd long forgotten how to grasp.

 _I can't tell her the truth,_ he thought, his heart constricting. _She'll kill me!_

"You're a bit late."

He stopped short in the doorway of the injection hut. A figure leaned against the back wall, buffed black reptile leather clinging to every inch of a skeletal frame. They stood over a half-covered tray, staring at him with cold, unforgiving green eyes, highlighted by pale brown fur. The rest of the face was obscured by a half-mask, an oversized hood further obscuring their species. They reeked of the chemical stink of scent block.

"Who are you?" he asked flatly. They straightened.

"The name's dusk," they answered simply, voice slightly muffled. His jaw tightened.

"Where's Anya?"

They shrugged, cupping the first syringe in a gloved hand. A strip of fur flashed at their wrist.

"I'm afraid she's been unexpectedly called away," they motioned to the stool beside them. "I'm just filling in for her, so why don't we get started?"

He rolled his eyes, but pulled off his shirt and took a seat. Dusk walked behind him, and he shuddered as they traced one of the old scars on his back. They pushed the needle in just below it, chuckling at the soft groan that slipped from his throat.

"It might not hurt much now," they stepped in front of him, making a show of lifting the the bottom of the mask, licking the needle and pricking their tongue with it. "But trust me, it will."

They walked back around, his eyes starting to water and burn as they administered the second shot; they rubbed his twitching shoulders in a gesture of mock concern. Leaning down, they bit the rim of his ear, their voice a chilling hiss.

"Suffering now?"

He tensed when they gave the next one, acid filling his throat as a searing heat began to pound through his veins. A wet, hacking cough rattled his chest, it was impossible to breathe. The stool toppled, every nerve screaming as he hit the floor, hot bile flooding his mouth. His vision blurred, he was barely aware of his head being forced back, Dusk's eyes glowing with dark pleasure.

"Hurts now, doesn't it, tough guy?" they laughed again. "But don't worry. Soon, you won't feel a thing."

There was a high-pitched echo, another wave of stabbing pain, one last scream before he went limp.

* * *

Nick groaned, almost knocking the alarm clock over as he groped blindly for the snooze button. It took a few seconds to kick off the sheets, twisted and sweat-spattered as always; he was amazed he got any sleep at all. His phone chirped on the nightstand, the screen displaying an unknown number; he wasn't sure what made him answer.

 _"You done good for yourself, small fry."_

He went stiff. That name again.

"Who is this?" he demanded. The mammal laughed.

 _"You know who I am."_

Nick's pulse quickened.

"W-What do you want?"

 _"Just wanted to congratulate you,"_ they mocked. _"Also surprised you've managed to live this long, but we both know it won't last forever."_

"What the hell are you talking about?" he swallowed his fear. "What do you want?"

 _"Just felt like warning you, small fry,"_ the joking tone ceased. _"Enjoy the calm while you can get it."_

The line clicked. The phone slipped from his nerveless hand. That hadn't just happened, it wasn't possible. He shook his head, shoving it to the back of his mind. There was too much happening now to worry about the future, or the past. He repeated that to himself as he got ready, glancing outside whenever he could. He didn't know what he was looking for—a masked killer primed to burst from the shadows? The gleam of a scope as they gunned him down from a distance?

 _Dumbass,_ he snapped at himself. _Quit being paranoid. That guy was a loon, nothing's coming after you._

The feeling of being watched followed him outside, unease creeping over him like vines as he unlocked his newly repaired car. His heart skipping a beat when he saw the note folded over the steering wheel, his name slapped across in a neat, unfamiliar scrawl.

 _You have until tonight, then we start taking matters into our own hands.'_

A jolt of fear coursed through him. He crushed the page in his fist and threw it on the floor. He keyed the ignition and took off down the street, wondering why they'd chosen now to come back for him.

 _This can't be happening!_

* * *

Judy watched Kara's car turn out of the driveway, sighing in relief when it disappeared down the street. The jill had been in a rage since she'd come home yesterday afternoon, which could only mean her latest boy toy had ended things. Judy was amazed she'd managed to sneak to her room without being noticed, at least she'd avoided one pointless beating.

She got off her bed and grabbed the bag she'd left by the door; she'd finally found a dojo in town, and she couldn't wait to start karate again. She grabbed the sticky note she'd scribbled the address on from her mirror, detouring through the kitchen to grab a water bottle and orange before heading outside. She was surprised to see Nick a few houses down, lowering the top of a dark green convertible.

"Hey," he smiled when she jogged up. "Going somewhere?"

"I signed up for a new karate class," she glanced at the sticky note. "You know where the Shima Sports Club is?"

He swept a twig off the hood.

"I take kickboxing there," he said. "Need a lift?"

She blushed, but then her smile faded.

"Wait a second, shouldn't you still have your cast?"

He looked at his arm, then wiggled his fingers.

"Got it taken off yesterday," he was as confused as she was. "Doc said it was already healed."

She blinked, then shook her head.

"It's barely been three weeks!"

"I know, we couldn't believe it, either," he shrugged. "But not like it's the weirdest thing that's ever happened."

He glanced at his watch, the same one she'd given him, then back at her.

"You can finish staring at me later," he laughed, going around to the driver's side. "You know I hate being late."

She giggled, then climbed in and buckled up.

"How long have you had this car?"

"Bought it off a senior last year," he adjusted the rearview mirror. "Took months just to get it running again."

"You did a great job," she ran a hand over the dash, done up in a dark faux-wood finish. He snorted.

"You should've seen it before, I couldn't believe it was still in one piece."

They rode in silence for a while; she could feel his gaze as he stopped at a red light.

"You're not telling me something."

She quit messing with her fingers, tucking her hands beneath her. She swallowed.

"I-I'm still having dreams about what happened."

He stepped on the gas when the light changed.

"You went through a lot," he kept his eyes on the road. "It's going to take more than a few weeks to deal with it."

She didn't answer, watching him through her lashes. His fur rippled and shifted in the wind; that serious gleam was always in his eyes, telling her his mind never stopped working. She wondered what he was thinking about.

"We're here."

She jumped a bit, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she climbed out of the car. The long, low building was brown brick, the full windows along the front tinted too darkly to see inside,

"I was planning on walking, my class doesn't start for an hour," she smiled at him, folding her ears back to hide her blush. "Mind if I just watch you?"

He chuckled.

"Yeah, that's," he trailed off, his expression going cold when he saw the reflection in the door. "Oh, great."

A pale gray lynx strolled up, the lazy smile on the cat's face turning cocky when his dark eyes locked on her.

"Haven't seen you around before," he ran a hand over his spiked white headfur.

"The name's Judy," she reached for Nick's free hand, but he put his arm around her shoulders. "Who're you?"

"Name's Cody," he crossed his arms, his fur cut short to show off his corded muscles. "I'm the champ around here."

She cocked a brow.

"And is that supposed to mean something to me?"

Nick snickered, and Cody glared at him.

"Just wondering what you're doing with a chump like him," he flashed another sharp-toothed smile, Nick tensing beside her. "You know where to find me if you ever want a real male."

He sauntered past them and headed inside. Judy rolled her eyes.

"Is he always that annoying?"

"Trust me, he gets worse," Nick sighed. "Guy's a lazy cheater, he threw chalk in my face at our last competition, then kicked me out of the ring. Ref said he didn't see anything."

"Of course," she glanced at the door, then giggled impishly. "On the bright side, now I can distract him while you whoop his ass."

He laughed again, then kissed the top of her head.

"Just hope I don't end up falling for it, too."

* * *

Cody leaned against the wall, picking a stray thread from the waistband of his loose black pants.

"So you're really Nick's girl?"

Judy barely glanced at him, seating on one of the cushions scattered along the front edge of the room.

"Even if I weren't, I think we both know I'm way out of your league," she answered flatly. He chuckled.

"You wouldn't be the first girl to change her mind," he squatted down and took her wrist, dropping a folded piece of paper into her hand.

"You know who to call when you get tired of him, baby," he straightened and walked away, knocking Nick aside as he did so. Nick just rolled his eyes, dropped his bag by Judy's and knelt beside her. He wore a snug white tank top and gray sweat pants, the left hem splashed with a bleach stain.

"He didn't bug you too much, did he?"

She tucked the paper away to throw out later.

"Nothing I'm not used to," she said. "What made you want to take kickboxing?"

"It was my mom's idea," he rubbed a small scar peeking through the fur on his chin. "She signed me up the first chance she got."

He let his hand fall to his side.

"I do think about quitting once in a while," he went on quietly, glancing at a tall black fox she assumed was the teacher. "But then I remember how she looked when she watched me, and I feel like I'd be letting her down if I did."

"Oh," she felt like she should have expected that answer. He tilted her chin back, brushing her cheek.

"She's not the only reason I stick with it," he smirked a bit. "I just haven't found anything else I like."

She giggled, jumping slightly as an impatient, accented shout.

"Nick, let's go!"

He cringed, calling over his shoulder. " _Hai, Sensei!_ "

He kissed her cheek, then jogged to take the last free spot at the back of the group. The sounds of the class blurred and faded into white noise as she bit her lip, wishing she could push away the dread that was now tugging sharply at her stomach.

 _That won't happen again,_ she promised herself. _I won't let it!_

* * *

Judy pressed her thumb to the throbbing pain between her eyes. She'd woken up late, forgetting her homework on the kitchen table in her rush to leave. She'd also had three tests she'd been too distracted to study for, one of which had counted for almost a fifth of her grade, she rested her forehead against the inside of her locker door, the cool metal helping to ease the pain. It flared again when the bell rang, the piercing note tearing at her eardrums.

 _Just one more class,_ she assured herself. _Then you can bum a ride and curl up in bed all weekend._

She straightened, gasping sharply when the door slammed shut. Stephanie was spitting flames, her eyes filled with broiling hatred, her red and white fur bristled in rage. Judy gulped, her head forgotten as she jumped aside.

"What the hell are you doing here? You're supposed to be in jail!"

"My dad bailed me out," Stephanie spat, stomping forward. "I've got a record now, thanks to you, bitch!"

Judy took another step back.

"Then you shouldn't have kidnapped me," her voice started shaking. "Or let your little bot toy rape me!"

"You deserved it, you fucking slut," she lashed out, ripping Judy's shirt. "Just like you deserve this!"

Judy screamed, scrambling to cover her thin blue camisole. Why was everyone just standing around watching?

"You crazy bitch! What the hell's wrong with you?!"

"I'm done with you getting between me and Nick," she tore Judy's camisole. "Now the whole school's going to see you pay for it!"

Judy barely saw the streak of steel, throwing up her hands just before the knife would have lodged in her chest, ignoring the burn across her palms as she snatched Stephanie's arm. Stephanie struggled to get her wrist free, the weapon dropping from her grip when Judy jammed the other girl's arm against her knee.

"You're fucking insane," she shoved the red panda away. "Why do you keep doing this to me?!"

She screamed again, covering her eyes against the sudden burst of mace, the sound cutting off when Stephanie jammed a knee into her stomach.

"Everyone's wanted you gone since you got here, cunt," Stephanie grabbed Judy's ears and yanked her forward; Judy whimpered, trying in vain to blink away the searing burn. "And I'm going to make sure you _never_ take Nick from me again!"

Judy cried out, coughing hoarsely, her heart pounding as she waited for whatever torture Stephanie had planned for her, only to feel something warm and heavy drape over her shoulders.

"We got you, Judy," Chad said next to her; she could barely hear him over Stephanie's screeching.

"Let me go, you assholes!"

"Not happening, sweetheart," Jack snapped angrily, then grunted like he'd been elbowed in the gut.

"Dad wasted his time getting you out," Lance growled, more furious than she'd ever heard him. "Now I'm going to make sure you fucking _rot_ in that cell!"

Judy went to rub her eyes, anything to try and ease the burning sting, only for Chad to stop her.

"Trust me, that just makes it worse," there were two loud tears, then the light scratch of rough fabric around her cut palms. He took her shoulders and started leading her. "Come on, we'll flush it out in the chem lab."

She sniffled, trying to see through her tears, breathing through her mouth to try to keep from inhaling pepper spray.

"Where's Nick?" she managed between hacks, her throat already sore.

"One of his off-campus classes at the college," he answered, then swallowed. "He doesn't hit girls, but I think he'll make an exception this time."

She felt him tense at a shout, then she screamed, feeling a new kind of pain across her cheek, nearly paralyzing when the residue on her fur seeped into the gash. She dropped to her knees, openly crying as she pressed her hands to her face, her breathing coming in fast, shallow gasps. The edges of her blurred vision started going black, the world soon drowned out by a high-pitched ringing, the same she'd heard just before her old house had burst into flames.

* * *

Judy winced as she tried to move her bandaged hands, fresh tears dripping down her cheeks as she thought over what had just happened. The guys had stayed with her until the rest of the mace had worn off, then she'd all but shoved them out, wanting to be alone to try and process it all. Stephanie had been arrested and hauled back to jail, kicking and screaming while the whole school witnessed her meltdown. The smell of Chad's cheap cologne hung in the air, his old torn flannel shirt swallowing her. She'd been surprised to learn Nick's grandmother, a retired doctor, was the school nurse, and wondered how she'd managed to go so long without seeing the vixen on campus.

"I was wrong about you, Judy," Mrs. Wilde said, coming over with two paper cups of water. She sat down on the chair she'd left there earlier and offered one. "And wrong about Stephanie."

Judy pulled her knees up, crossing her legs.

"It's okay," she answered, having forgiven the old female long ago. She took a sip of lukewarm water. "I don't think anyone believed she could go this far."

Mrs. Wilde sighed.

"I don't see how, this isn't the first time she's hurt somebody like this," she slowly shook her head. "Last time, she claimed to be defending Nick from a bully."

Judy blinked, she couldn't imagine him on the losing end of a fight.

"When was that?"

"Oh, years ago, before the accident," she sighed heavily, twisting her own cup between her dark-furred hands. "His sister told him he'd be 'thrown away' if their parents found out he'd been fighting, and this was after Ario and I gained custody of him."

Judy shivered; when had it gotten so cold?

"When was that, exactly? I mean, he told me it happened, sort of, but…"

"He was hardly six," his grandmother supplied. "By then, we'd figured out his brother and sister were responsible for abusing him, but even taking him away didn't stop them."

Judy knocked back the rest of her water, then set the cup next to her. Mrs. Wilde leaned forward, gripping her hand tightly.

"I should not have treated you the way I did," she went on. "I never saw Nick so happy until he met you, I'm so sorry."

Judy smiled.

"Its fine, really, I'm just glad I can help him."

Mrs. Wilde looked relieved, about to say something when the door opened, two cheerleaders Judy didn't recognize hobbling in. She collected the cups, offering one last smile before getting up, pulling out the curtain hanging between the cots. Judy was thankful for the privacy, as she reached in her pocket for the folded note she'd found in her locker that morning, her name scrawled in handwriting she didn't recognize.

 _'Judy, I know I'm the last mammal you'd ever want to hear from, but there's something you really, really need to know. I'm the one who—'_ she stumbled over the word, _'—raped you, who threw you in that hole and left you for dead. You didn't deserve any of it, and I know I can't say I'm sorry enough. Forgiveness is the LAST thing I deserve, anyway.'_

She stopped reading, wiping her damp eyes with her sleeve. This was the last thing she had expected.

 _'There's no excuse for what I did. I let Stephanie manipulate me into helping her, and you're not even the first girl I've ended up hurting. I never did a damn thing to try and stop her, I let myself believe a fake was more important than other mammals' lives, and I'm so, so sorry.'_

Hr eyes widened when she got to the end, it couldn't mean what she thought it did!

 _'I'm just stupid, selfish asshole, and I know there's only one way to even try and make it up to you. Don't worry, Judy, because you'll never have to see my face again. I'm finally going to do something right. Take care of yourself, and please, don't let us ruin anything else for you. I'm sorry, Eric.'_

The small, neat cursive was a smeared, blotted mess when she finished. The note slipped from her trembling fingers, fluttering gracelessly to the cold tile floor. She brought her knees to her chest, grabbed the thin pillow behind her and buried her face in it.

 _It wasn't your fault, Eric,_ she shouted silently, knowing it was already too late. _You didn't have to do that!_

She kept crying, not caring if anyone heard. She'd barely glanced at the newspaper on the front porch that morning, more concerned with getting to class on time. She'd been too out of it to hear everyone talking, how Eric's parents had found him when they'd gotten home yesterday evening, a makeshift sheet rope tied to the bannister, his neck mercilessly snapped by the tight noose around it.

* * *

 _"Shima" is Japanese for "island", and "Isola" is Italian for it. Yeah, I wasn't exactly too creative with some of these names..._


	12. Chapter 12

Judy switched off the sewing machine she'd brought up from the basement, folding the half-finished skirt and setting it next to her on the window seat. She and Nick had been the only ones from school to show up at Eric's funeral last month, and he'd only gone because she had begged him to.

 _You're letting it happen again._

She shook her head. This was nothing like what had happened with Raúl, or with Andy. Eric's death had been completely beyond her control. She ground the heels of her palms into her eyes, telling herself that more crying wouldn't solve anything. She shoved out a breath, then turned to the window, the smallest ghost of a smile touching her lips when she saw Nick in the driveway, waving her down. She waved back, then hurried to meet him, throwing herself in his arms.

"How have you been holding up?" his voice vibrated softly through her. She pressed her face closer to his chest, her fingers tightening on his shirt. His low sigh ghosted across the top of her head.

"That was his choice, you know," he said softly. "It wasn't your fault."

"I-I know," she sniffled, then pulled back and wiped her eyes, taking a small, shuddering breath. "Um, why the drop-by?"

He put a hand on the hood of his car.

"I remembered a promise I made a while ago," he flashed a small smile. "I never got to show you around."

Judy looked at the sky. It was clear, warmer than it had been in weeks, and it would do a lot more than staying locked up in her room. She wiped her eyes again, then attempted a smile.

"Okay, let's go."

The town was smaller than she'd thought, barely twenty square miles, and the ferry was the only way to reach the island. Her kidnapping had led to the council voting to seal off the mine and known airshafts, natural or not.

"Lance's family discovered the silver," Nick explained, keeping his eyes on the road. "We built the town while they took care of the mine."

"I read about that in one of the guidebooks you can get at the dock," she ran a hand down her ears. "When did the silver run out?"

He rubbed the extra scruff on his chin.

"Some time in the twenties," he barely made it through a yellow light. "After that, they handled exports and stuff."

He finished off the water bottle stashed in his cupholder and tossed it in the back.

"They tried being a crime family in the forties," his teeth flashed in a smirk. "But we took them out pretty fast."

She looked at him.

"You mean your Italian family was part of the mob? Isn't that kind of cliche?"

He snorted, turning onto the dirt road that bordered the town. Judy sat back, her gaze flicking between him and the way ahead. He pulled into a small parking lot, a gray brick path at the end leading through a stand of slender trees with twisting branches and bright red leaves.

"They're red dragon maples," he said before she could ask, flashing a smile as he climbed out of the car. He dropped his keys in his shirt pocket. "If you want to find out where we are, you'll have to follow me."

The path passed under a carved wooden sign, branching through shrubs painted with a rainbow of flowers. Green stalks of bamboo ran along a short wood fence, a red bridge crossing a clear stream flashing with koi. A slender old serow in pale blue exited a tiny shed, singing softly to himself. He smiled when he saw them, offering a shallow bow that Nick politely returned.

"Come on," he took her hand, leading her down a path lined with cherry trees, pale pink with blossoms. A baby robin took flight from its nest, cradled in a hollow in one of the larger trunks.

"It's so pretty," she turned to Nick, her smile fading. "Hey, you okay?"

"Huh?" he looked up, letting a larger white flower fall to the ground. "Oh, yeah, sure."

"You don't sound like it," she walked over to him. "What were you just thinking about?"

He shook his head, watching as the breeze snatched up the blossom, carrying it to another stand of bamboo. His fist tightened briefly at his side. He sighed heavily.

"There's just a lot of shit I really wish I could change."

* * *

 _"What's happening now?"_

He peeked through the leaves, trying to ignore the fact his feet were falling asleep from crouching in the dirt and shade behind the shrub. They were standing on the path, the fox talking as much with his hands as he did with his mouth.

"Nothing worth noting," he didn't bother hiding his boredom.

 _"I still want you to keep an eye on them,"_ the boss answered. _"We cant risk anything being shared, and_ don't _let them die this time!"_

He rolled his eyes; one slip-up and he never heard the end of it.

"Understood," he pulled off the headset, letting it hang around his neck. He'd been following these two for months, never more than a few yards away. He shifted to one knee, separating the thin branches to get a better look.

"Come on, you two," his fingers twitched in anticipation, the gun at his thigh begging to be drawn. "Give me some reason to do this…"

He had no idea why the boss insisted on letting them live. The rabbit was gorgeous and sweet, sure, and he guessed the fox was okay, too, but he couldn't begin to think what was supposed to be so intriguing about them. It probably had more to do with who the fox was, and he wondered if this were simply so they could keep tabs on their little bargaining chip. But then why hire him? He was a mercenary, not a babysitter.

He waited a moment after they left the path, then followed them to the greenhouse in a back corner of the garden, squatting by a broken pane. The plants were a little thicker there, thanks to the warm, humid air spilling from the hole, ensuring he'd stay hidden.

He peeked inside, hearing her happy giggle as she explored, running her fingers over every petal and stem she could reach. The fox stayed by the door, his arms crossed, lost in thought again. Was he already regretting whatever he'd told that bunny?

 _I just hope something interesting happens soon,_ his fingers brushed against his gun, aching to pull the trigger. _Otherwise I might just go against orders._

* * *

Nick held open the greenhouse door, several butterflies gliding out on the draft of warm air and flitting to nearby flowers.

"This is what I really wanted to show you," he smiled at Judy. "It's my favorite thing about this place."

She gasped as she walked through, her fingers trailing along a violet wisteria vine creeping over a table crowded with square flower pots, planted with every color of Japanese iris. Ladybugs crawled along leaves and stalks of all sizes and shades, flowers drenching the air in exotic perfumes he leaned against another table, crowded with seedlings in smaller, labelled pots.

 _I never should've started all this,_ he thought. He'd already had two attacks that month, the second landing him in the hospital, and no one had any idea why it kept happening. He bit his tongue to hold back a groan, sighing in relief when the stab of pain faded. He guessed it didn't matter what they ended up calling it, since he'd end up worm chow, regardless, it would just be a bit easier to deal with if it had a name.

He watched her pick up a rose that had fallen off a branch, the pale yellow petals a perfect contrast to her fur. She'd been through too much already, and here he was, selfish enough to put her through more.

"Are you sure you're okay, Nick?" she turned to him. "We can go if you're not feeling up to this."

He chuckled, heading to one of the larger pots on the floor and reached behind it. She gasped, the rose dropping from her fingers.

"M-My jewelry box," she covered her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. "Where did you find it?"

She reached for it, then fell back against the damp wall, crying into her hands. He set the box on the table, then picked up the flower, tucking the stem by her ear.

"I'm sorry I ignored you like that, Nick," her breath hitched. "Especially after everything you've done for me, I just didn't know how to—"

"It doesn't matter, you came back," he traced the curve of her cheek, tracing his thumb lightly along her bottom lip. "Let's just put the rest behind us."

She sniffled, then wiped her eyes, offering a small, shaky smile. He watched the blush creep up her ears as he ran a hand down her side, his heart starting to race as he leaned forward. He kissed her, holding her gently, feeling her fingers ghost shyly over his chest; she pulled away first, gazing up at him with bright, adoring eyes.

"Thanks again for saving me, Nick," she said quietly, then licked her lips as he moved in to kiss her again. "Thank you for everything."

* * *

His wrists burned, his skin rubbed raw and bleeding by the rough, tight ropes. His face was throbbing. He'd been ambushed on a dark, empty road, barely able to keep from crashing as his tires were shredded by spike strips. He'd hardly climbed off the ruined motorcycle when those mammals had grabbed him, throwing him blindfolded and bound into a vehicle that reeked of rotting fish, ammonia and vomit.

"You brought this on yourself, pal."

The deep, guttural voice was vaguely familiar, filling him with rage that went far beyond being assaulted and kidnapped. He grunted, a large bump in the road having nearly thrown him off the seat.

"Where are you taking me?" he demanded, then coughed hoarsely as a fist slammed into his ribs.

"You'll know it when you see it," a different voice spoke, smoother and slyer than its counterpart. He snorted, his gut tightening as he tried to fight the jostles and jolts of the unpaved street. Another smell had started to leak past the others: fresh blood. The cold metal of a gun pressed deeper into his back, the vehicle jerking to a stop. A door slid quickly open, and he stumbled as they shoved him out, shielding his eyes from the glare of the headlights when they ripped off the blindfold. He could barely see the stone building withs its piqued roof, crowned by a large, ornate cross, but he could never mistake the mammal standing by the tall, stately wooden doors.

Her plush cheek fur bounced lightly with each step, her manicured claws scratching softly through his fur as she took his chin, her small, confident smile fading when she saw his bruised eye and swollen lip.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded icily, glaring at the other three males. The smallest one, a capybara, messed with his gun, before reaching behind his back to shove it into his waistband.

"We had some trouble subduing him," he offered weakly, not meeting her gaze. She eyed the group coldly, then waved a dismissive hand.

"Leave," she ordered simply, leading him inside as they scrambled into their putrid van and took off. She struggled to push the heavy door shut, slumping against it. "At least _that's_ over with."

He looked around, taking in the neat rows of empty pews, the plain alter standing tall across the room, nearly touching the low ceiling. Small torches sat in cast iron sconces on the pillars between the shuttered windows, filling the air with a light haze, tinged with the smells of burning tar and wood.

"What happened, Anya?" he turned to her. "Where have you been all this time?"

She smirked at him, pulling a small knife from the folds of her gown.

"I'm happy to see you, too," she came over, her breath hissing through her teeth as she cut away the rope from his mangled wrists. "But it looks like your little escort wasn't."

He shrugged, working the circulation back into his hands.

"They jumped me just outside town," he frowned. "I just finished fixing my ride this morning, too."

She giggled, tossing the rope aside.

"Its kind of your fault for scaring them so much," she said. "They're on our side, too, you know."

He snorted.

"They don't act like it," he sat down on one of the pews, trying to ignore the sting of his wounds. "Why'd they bring me here, anyway?"

She nodded toward the tray waiting by his elbow, grabbing the black cloth to reveal a large syringe waiting underneath, the liquid inside a shifting, indiscernible color. She picked it up and took off the clouded plastic cap.

"They said it was time for the next phase."

She reached for him, but he jerked away.

"They said the _last_ phase would be the last one," he eyed it warily. "Where are they taking it now?"

She shook her head.

"You know I can't tell you that," she reminded him. "I'm not authorized to."

"That never stopped you before," he looked at her, his eyes widening as the realization hit him. "That's why you disappeared, isn't it?"

He'd gone through a cycle of injectors the last few months, stuck wondering what had happened to her.

"Yeah," she switched the needle to her other hand, swiping her palm on her skirt. "That's also why I 'ordered' those guys to bring you here, you would've been killed if you'd gone to the hut like usual. I didn't realize they had such a grudge against you, though."

He shrugged again; it wasn't the first beating he'd suffered, and he knew it wouldn't be the last.

"But why would I have been killed?" he asked. "You never told me anything I couldn't have found out myself."

She scoffed, undoing the top few buttons of his shirt, smoothing the wrinkled blue fabric from his chest.

"You really think that matters to them? And this one's designed to go in your heart," she went on. "I'm afraid I can't say anything else until I give it to you."

He straightened, watching as she disinfected the site, the fine tip disappearing in his fur and piercing his skin, a light tingle rippling out from it. His pulse sped up a bit, his vision blurring slightly at the edges; he waited for the intense burning, to feel like every cell was being ripped apart from the inside.

"It doesn't have the same after-effects as the last round, thank God," she capped the syringe and set it back on the tray, then looked uneasy. "Listen, have you noticed anything…different about yourself, since you started getting these?"

"I don't think so," he buttoned his shirt and got to his feet. The dizziness and nausea upon standing were absent as well. "But then, I can't remember ever _not_ getting them."

She reached in the folds of her dress, taking out a photo dated from his sixth birthday. The top half had been jaggedly cut away, leaving a stick-thin little boy alone in the foreground. His ears and nose were pale, scratches, cuts and burns peeking through his scraggly fur, but he was smiling, his light eyes sparkling. He vaguely remembered that stained blue shirt with the red dragon, the oversized stuffed owl tucked firmly against his side.

Hardly aware he was doing it, he held out a hand, his jaw dropping when he saw the raised outline of a scar on the side of his wrist, in the same spot as the kid frozen in time.

"What did those things do to me?"

* * *

Alex tapped her pencil impatiently on the edge of her open notebook, resting her chin in her hand. The badger had lost track of how long it had been since she and Eric had kidnapped Judy, that she'd waited for the cops to barge in and drag her kicking and screaming back to juvie. Or prison. But she hadn't even been questioned about the bitch's disappearance.

 _Guess Stephanie took all the credit again._

Besides her obsessive crush on Nick, stealing credit was what Stephanie was best-known foe. Alex perked up when one of the heavy library doors groaned open, Judy straining against it as she stepped aside to let someone out. It had taken almost all day for the idiot to find the note Alex had slipped in her locker; she looked around before slinking off to one of the smaller tables by the windows, exactly where Alex had wanted her. She waited a few minutes before approaching, going over what she'd say one last time. It was now or never.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" she plastered a shy smile on her face. Judy barely looked up from her paper, her eyes bright with shock.

"Yeah, sure," she pushed out the chair across from her with her foot. Alex sat down, reaching in her binder for the old sketch she'd stolen from the storage closet in the art room.

"Thanks, this spot has the best light," she bent over the picture, tracing the lines with a fine-tipped blue marker. The Aztec death mask and cracked conch shell almost looked like a black-and-white photograph.

"That's really good," Judy remarked after a while. "How long have you been drawing?"

Casually, Alex shifted her hand to cover the real artist's signature. He was long dead, anyway.

"Since I could hold a crayon," she leaned slightly forward. "What are you working on?"

"Ugh, another essay," the rabbit crossed out a word. "Mr. Delrio's been assigning them every week this quarter."

Alex cringed in fake sympathy, then capped the marker and set it down. The picture was starting to smudge, charcoal dust dyeing the side of her hand.

"You're dating Nick Wilde, right?"

Judy stopped writing.

"Sort of," she said. "Why?"

Alex shrugged one shoulder.

"I've overheard some mammals talking about," she sighed inwardly, this was going to be even easier than she'd thought. "What do you mean, 'sort of?"

Judy went back to her paper for a minute, then groaned and shoved it aside.

"I'll worry about it later," she muttered to herself, then turned to Alex. "I mean, we're not actually together or anything."

"That's good," time for the next piece to fall into place. "My sister dated him for a while their freshman year, he treated her like shit."

Judy twisted one of her ears before pushing it behind her shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, he never hit her," Alex started, barely able to keep a straight face. "But he was always lying to her, and he put her down so much that she really started believing she couldn't do anything right."

Judy shook her head.

"That doesn't sound anything like him, he's one of the nicest mammals I've ever met."

Alex nodded sagely.

"That's how it started with my sister. He pulled her in with the whole 'good guy' act, but as soon as they were together, he was criticizing everything she did."

Judy suddenly looked nervous.

"Who's your sister?"

"Emily Bradford," Alex nodded toward the wall behind the librarian's desk, where plaques were hung for students who'd died. Emily had been pale and skinny with gray eyes, and she'd always seemed to smile and scowl at the same time. Alex couldn't remember when she'd felt more excited than after her big sister's death. She just wished she'd succeeded in killing Nick that night, too, it would have made things so much easier.

She allowed herself the barest hint of a smile as she watched Judy struggle; she had to smother her laugh with a hand as the bunny jumped up, sweeping her crap into her backpack.

"I-I'm so sorry about your sister," she managed quietly, then ran off, nearly smashing her face on the door when she yanked it open. Alex let a few giggles out as she recalled the terrified look on Judy's face, this was going to be even more fun than she'd thought.

* * *

Judy moaned sleepily, rubbing the grit from her eyes. The walls were pale yellow, almost taped over with posters of cartoon characters and comic book heroes, dolls and other toys scattered on the couches and tables lining the room. The play area in the children's ward at the hospital. Nick was sitting on the couch across from her, Lilly curled up in his lap, both of them smiling as he softly read The Ugly Duckling. The cub noticed her staring, and beamed at her.

"She's awake, Nick!"

Nick chuckled as she jumped down, closing the book and dropping it on the cushion as he stood, grabbing a pair of Styrofoam cups from the small table by the arm.

"You missed breakfast, Judy," Lilly said, nearly hopping in place. "They had pancakes and Lucky Chomps!"

Judy laughed, sitting up as she took the cup Nick offered her, lukewarm water. He put a hand on Lilly's head, her grin and eyes bright as she looked up at him.

"Chad and your mom will be here soon," he told her. "They said they had something special planned."

Judy didn't think the cub could get any more excited, but she took off like a shot then, nearly bowling over the older civet nurse who'd come to get her.

"Hard to believe she was so sick just a few weeks ago," Nick mused when they were alone. She giggled when she saw the messy brushing job on his tail, the sparkling pink bow tied at the end of it. He shot her a mildly peeved look before pulling it off, then carefully combed his claws through the mussed fur.

"You fell asleep pretty fast last night," he tossed the bow across the room. "I didn't think The Little Princess was _that_ boring."

"That story's always put me to sleep, my mom called it her fail-safe," she ignored the quick pang in her stomach. "I had no idea you were so good with kids."

He shrugged, spinning his half-empty cup slowly between his hands.

"I've always loved working with them, especially when they're stuck in a place like this," he stretched out his leg and tugged up his jeans. A raised, faded scar cut a path through the fur on his calf, and she realized she'd never seen him in shorts before.

"I was helping one of my aunts with her emus when a chick got loose. Her lead was tangled in a bush when I found her, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up in this hospital," he fixed his pants. "She'd trampled my leg and almost shattered it."

Judy breathed sharply through her teeth.

"Sounds brutal."

"No kidding," he sat back and took a sip, grimacing at the taste of cold coffee. "I'm stuck with all the plates and crap they had to use to fix it, though my dad actually considered getting it amputated at first."

She set the water down and ran her hands over her limp ears, glancing around as she tried to stop thinking about the story Alex had told her, and all the other rumors she'd been stuck overhearing. Nick couldn't really be capable of all those things, could he?

"I have to go," she stood abruptly, not caring when her skirt got soaked. "Kara will kill me if I'm not locked in my room when she wakes up."

He looked disappointed.

"We're still on for tonight, though, right?"

She nodded stiffly, she'd almost forgotten about it.

"Yeah, sure," she said quickly, unable to face him. "I-I'll see you then."

She took off, wishing she could just forget those stupid stories, and especially the pain she'd seen in Nick's eyes.

* * *

Judy put down the brush, frowning at her reflection; she'd never been able to get her fur as soft or shiny as her mother could. She smoothed her hands over the front of her knee-length navy dress; the off-shoulder neckline and tiered skirt had been tricker than she'd thought, but at least the wine-red trim had been easy. Nick had texted an hour ago, saying there would be a small change to tonight. She picked up the rhinestone ear chain Miranda had given her while she'd been recovering. It was the last time Judy had seen her, now that she thought about it.

 _And she still hasn't gotten back to me,_ Judy glanced at her phone, peeking out of her beaded black clutch. Even a wet, shirtless picture of Nick hadn't been enough to make her friend respond. _Oh well, not much I can do about it._

She finished her makeup and grabbed her jacket, heading downstairs as the doorbell rang. Nick smiled when he saw her, then leaned in to kiss her.

"You look amazing," he said, making her blush. He wore dark slacks and a blazer pulled over a thin gray sweater, his fur neatly trimmed. "Ready to go?"

She took his arm, the heat of his skin through his sleeve sending her mind to the gutter. Her blush deepened, and she turned to the curb, stopping when she saw the idling limo, a uniformed older wombat waiting behind the wheel with a patient smile.

"It was _Nona's_ idea," Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Not a problem, is it?"

She shook her head.

"Of course not," she giggled. "I've always wanted to ride in one!"

He chuckled, holding open the back door before climbing in next to her. She moved to the other end of the glossy dark ostrich leather seat as they got going, staring out the open window at the moonless, star-studded sky. She shook her head when he held out a hand.

"I'm sorry, Nick," she said quietly, not fully facing him. "I know I'm acting weird—"

"Because you can't stop thinking about all those stupid rumors you keep hearing about me," he finished blandly. She winced.

"I know its all crap," she tried to explain. "And.i thought I could just keep ignoring it, but it managed to get stuck in my head and now I can't forget it."

He looked at her, a little regretfully, then sighed.

"I'm not blaming you, Judy," he started. "I know I didn't treat Emily like I should have, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't still blame myself for what happened. I knew she was unstable, but I never thought it'd get…that bad."

 _Who could have,_ she wondered, nearly falling off the seat when the limo suddenly jerked to a stop. The window across from them rolled down, then the engine went quiet.

"We've got a flat, sir," a chauffeur had a light Jamaican accent. "But I don't know what we might have hit."

Nick glanced outside, his posture slightly stiff. The streets were unusually empty for so early in the evening, and it was starting to make Judy nervous.

"We'll help change it," she blurted, knowing Nick would have offered anyway, it was just how he was. She climbed out after him, reaching in the trunk for the jack while he and the driver struggled with the spare tire. Her blood went cold when she saw the damage, the heavy jack falling to the road as her hands started shaking. "Oh God…"

"What's wrong?" Nick dropped the spare on the curb, his eyes going wide when he saw the hole torn in the side of the tire. "Shit…"

He grabbed Judy's hand, pulling her behind him as the chauffeur dropped to the ground, blood running in the gutter from his broken nose. A tall, lean black fox stepped out from the alley, Judy shivering when she saw how the streetlights reflected in his brown eyes, glinting off a wide, nasty white smile.

"Nice piece you got there," he chuckled and strolled forward. "Mind if I try her out?"

Nick stepped further in front of her, tense like he was ready to fight.

"That's not what you're really after," he stated bluntly. Judy felt her skin prickle, like the air were suddenly charged, and it only got worse when the other fox laughed, one of the coldest sounds she had ever heard.

"You don't have to know about that," he said, that cruel smirk still in place. "You just need to keep up."

Judy grunted as Nick pushed her against the wall, barely catching the black fox's wrist. Her blood froze when she saw the wicked knife in his grip, the end of the handle stained with blood. He twisted sharply, the weapon falling to the sidewalk; he kicked it away, then slammed a fist into the tod's stomach.

"I don't think that'll be a problem."

He dodged a furious blow, stepped in and jammed an elbow in the other fox's temple, then shoved him back, a ringing thud resounding as his head cracked against a light pole. The tod slumped to the ground, and actually had the good sense to stay down.

"All right," Nick brushed off his hands. "Now to get the rest of this mess cleaned up."

He went to the driver, sitting on the curb with a wad of white cloth pressed to his nose, looking groggy. Judy helped haul the bleeding wombat to his feet, wincing when she thought about the black eyes he'd be sporting the next few weeks.

"At least the hospital's on the next block," she commented, pulling her jacket closer around her again. It was cooler than she'd thought it would be tonight. "But what are we going to do about all this?"

She nodded to the limo as they passed, then glanced back at the other fox, who was quietly groaning. Where the hell had he even come from?

"Let's get him taken care of first," Nick kept a hand on his chauffeur's shoulder, steadying him. "I want to make sure his nose isn't broken."

She looked behind them again, wondering what could have caused that kind of damage to a tire, a gasp getting caught in her throat when she saw the guy he'd fought had already disappeared.

* * *

Judy settled on the black futon in Nick's basement, holding her knees to her chest and feeling tiny in the shirt he'd lent her. His driver had ended up with a fractured nose, and she'd had to look away as it was packed. His wife, a fellow wombat and cafeteria worker who'd just gotten off shift, had insisted on giving them a lift home, after making sure they'd had something to eat, of course. Nick had asked if she'd wanted to be dropped at her house, chuckling at how quickly she'd blurted that she'd rather stay with him. She turned to the pale gray divider he'd slipped behind to change, remembering how easily he'd fought that guy off.

"I've never seen anybody take down someone that fast," she said loudly enough for him to hear. He stepped out, pulling a faded blue baseball shirt over his head; she frowned when she saw the large bandage peeking over the lip of his pajama pants. What could that have come from?

"I told you how long I've been kickboxing," he leaned against the arm of the futon, looking down at her. "And I've gotten in more than one fight with my cousins."

She giggled, rubbing the scrapes on her elbow from when she'd hit the wall.

"I'm sorry about earlier," she said quietly. "I know I shouldn't listen to that crap."

"It's fine," he sat next to her, then rubbed the back of his neck. "And those rumors are part of why I was so hesitant, I knew a lot of mammals at school would start shoving them down your throat if I got with you. It happened with Emily, too."

She pulled her ears over her shoulder and started stroking them, it had always helped calm her down.

"Did you know that guy?" She asked. "He sure seemed to know you."

He shook his head.

"I wasn't paying attention, I was more focused on keeping him away from you."

She pressed her lips together, looking at him through her lashes. His face had the same neutral expression as always, his fingers drumming restlessly on his thigh as he got lost in thought. She swallowed.

"Do you think they'll ever catch whoever's behind those murders?"

He sighed.

"I don't know," he crossed his arms. "This isn't even the first time this guy's come around, but it's not like they had any better luck then."

She brushed her ears back, then scooted closer, curling up against side with her head on his shoulder. He cupped her cheek, putting an arm around her as he started kissing her, a warm shiver hitting her spine when he pulled her flush against him.

"He'd never get near you," he whispered resolutely. "I promise."

* * *

 _"Are you sure?"_

"Yeah," he could barely hear his own voice, crouched sin the shadows by the narrow basement window. He tried to ignore the pain in his heart when Nick brushed a claw over Judy's forehead, then placed a feather-light kiss between her ears. He bit down hard on his lip, not bothering to hide the anger as he finished the report. "And they're looking pretty damn cozy."

The boss hummed thoughtfully.

 _"I wouldn't worry about it too much,"_ the mammal tried to assure him. After all the time he'd spent with the agency, he still couldn't figure the guy out. He really did seem to care, yet at the same time saw his agents as little more than tools. What the hell was his end game? _"They'll both be gone soon enough."_

He looked through the window again, his chest tightening when he saw how happy Judy was in Nick's arms. It should have been him down there with her, it was never supposed to happen this way!

"But what happens when he figures it out? You know he'll try to stop us."

 _"I doubt he'll live ling enough to,"_ the boss answered. _"And he'd only be making things harder for himself if he did, considering he's even more tangled in all this than we are."_

"Right…" he shoved out a breath, turned off the bluetooth and dropped it in his pocket. Judy was just an innocent bystander for now, but he knew Nick would tell her the truth eventually, either from the stress of keeping such a huge secret, or because she managed to stumble across part of it herself. Either way, it would mean he'd have to kill her, his gut twisting just at the thought of it.

It was one of the few times he wished he'd been reborn as one of the heartless experiments he was fighting so hard to protect. He shuddered, remembering the tour of the labs he'd been forced to endure as a new agent, where he'd had to witness the end of the process that created those vile creatures. The overly eager scientists guiding him had been too happy to explain how they were going to change how wars were fought, that soft, fragile mammals were going to be completely removed from the battlefield. He'd fled to his small apartment as soon as he'd been able to, and had spent the rest of the night vomiting into the toilet. Things had only gotten worse from there, as he'd learned the rest of that hellish process: the injections, the surgeries, the brainwashing. And that was still just the beginning.

 _I can't let her get any more missed up in this,_ he focused back on the window. Judy was still curled up against Nick's side, ignorant of just what she'd chosen to get close to. Now she was trapped with him in the crosshairs, and he knew from experience that she could never get out.

 _I still have to try and stop this,_ he pushed himself to his numb feet, staggering through the dark backyard and into the woods standing guard behind the street. _Before any more innocent mammals get killed._


	13. Chapter 13

"Ario," Evelyn shook her husband. Ario had turned his back to her and tugged his pillow around her head to block her out. "Ario, wake up!"

He groaned, yawning sleepily as he sat up, going stiff when he heard the muted banging from downstairs.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know," she clutched his arm tightly, her voice caught in a strained whisper. "I think someone's trying to break in!"

He sighed, patting her hand comfortingly.

"It's okay, _amore,_ " he said quietly. "It's probably just the repair crew in the stables."

He folded back the blanket and flicked on his bedside light. He'd barely stood when three figures burst in, dressed in black with skeleton gloves and bloody white Scream masks. The tallest of them, his small antlers still covered in velvet, brandished a revolver, thumbing the hammer as he aimed at Ario.

"Get the bitch!" the voice was digitally scrambled.

Evelyn screamed as she was dragged out of bed, whimpering from the crushing grip on her arm as she was shoved across the room.

"Who the hell are you?" Ario demanded, his tail lashing in anger as he held up his hands. "Let go of my wife and get out!"

The one with the gun chuckled.

"I don't think you're in any position to give orders, pal," they let off a shot, the bullet brushing the graying fur on Ario's cheek. "You know exactly what we're here for, so cough it up, unless you want your brain ventilated."

Ario met his gaze steadily, keeping silent until they jammed the muzzle of the gun between Evelyn's chattering teeth. Her choking, terrified sobs leaked faintly past the unforgiving metal.

"Running out of time, tough guy," they pulled back the hammer. "Better cough it up, or I'm blowing this bitch's head off."

Evelyn stared wide-eyed at him, tears spilling down her cheeks. He looked helplessly back at her, then sighed.

"You'll find it behind a panel in the corner," he said, pointing. "Left of the dresser."

The gunmammal laughed.

"Smart move," they pulled the gun away, then waved it dismissively. "Let her go."

The burglars laughed again as she was shoved to the floor, struggling away on all fours. Ario knelt to put his arms around her, watching the last member of the little gang tore the wood panel from the wall. Resting in the gap behind a loose brick was a green metal case the size of a cassette tape.

"I know what you're thinking, buddy," the leader started, as their crony collected the prize. "That since you helped start all this, you're too important to kill."

They lifted the gun, then fired.

"But I'm afraid you just became obsolete."

Ario fell back, clutching at the wound as he glared murder at the intruders.

"You've made a big mistake," he snapped breathlessly. "They won't overlook this!"

The perp shifted his mask enough to show a flash of teeth.

"Then I guess we'll see you in hell, asshole."

The group disappeared downstairs; the faint crunch of gravel outside faded before Evelyn dared to move. She scrambled to grab the phone on Ario's nightstand, her fingers trembling so she could hardly hold it as she punched in three numbers.

"Please, I need the _polizia,_ " she begged, barely keeping it together. "Somebody broke in and they just shot my husband!"

* * *

"Judy," the teacher sighed, snapping his book shut. "Could you stay for a few minutes, please?"

Half asleep, Judy lurched forward as the lunch bell rang, rubbing her eyes as the rest of the class filed out. She stretched, stifling a yawn. The sand cat dropped his book on the corner of his desk, leaning against the edge as he took off his glasses.

"Is everything okay?" He pulled a cloth from his vest pocket and polished the lenses. "You've been falling asleep in almost every class this week."

She groaned sleepily, propping her head on her fists.

"Yes, Mr. S," she managed. "Everything's fine."

He walked to the desk in front of hers, pulled out the chair and straddled it.

"You haven't been keeping up with your homework, either," he continued. "You sure there's nothing you want to talk about?"

Judy stared blankly at him, then sat up.

"I've kind of had a hard time since I moved here," she started. "A lot's happened, and now I keep having these weird dreams."

He scratched his cheek with the arm of his glasses, then hung them from his vest pocket.

"And what happens in those dreams?"

Judy hesitated, biting her knuckle.

"I hear voices," she stammered quickly. "And shadows start closing in on me. I can't even call for help because it feels like I'm drowning."

He hummed thoughtfully, resting his crossed arms on the back of the chair.

"Anything else?"

She toyed with her fingers, then nodded.

"I can hear animals laughing and mocking me, but I can't see them past everything else happening."

He rubbed his chin.

"The short answer is it sounds like you're worried about something," he smiled faintly. "And you don't seem to realize how important you are to the mammals you care about."

She shook her head.

"That's just it," she argued. "Pretty much everyone I've known, their lives got worse after they met me!"

He chuckled a bit.

"Now I find that hard to believe."

She choked.

"One of my best friends lost his brother, and the other lost her cousin, and now Nick's grandpa was shot!"

"In the shoulder," Nick added from the doorway. "Whoever did it couldn't aim."

Mr. S glanced behind him, then got to his feet and pushed the chair back in. He went to the whiteboard and grabbed the eraser.

"You can go, Judy."

She nodded, snatched her things and followed Nick to the hallway. They stopped at their lockers to dump everything in their backpacks.

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Just the end," Nick curled the strap over his shoulder and slammed his locker shut. "Jack's never said anything about his brother."

"He hates talking about it," Judy headed for the front doors. "Raúl's's death was the main reason they moved."

She looked up when they got outside, smiling when she saw the clouds had finally cleared the sky, a light breeze stirring her cheek fur.

"Come on," he went for the parking lot. "There's somewhere I wanted to take you."

It was a short drive to the park by the town square, crowded with families enjoying the break in a long wet spell. Nick pulled into an empty spot, hitting a button on the dash to put up the top.

"I know something else has been bugging you," he cut the engine. "Why haven't you told me what's going on?"

Judy shook her head, putting on a bright smile.

"You don't have to worry about it," she unbuckled and climbed out. "Come on, let's go for a walk, it's so nice out!"

They followed the path along the edge of the park, not far from the woods. Judy kept her eyes glued to the ground, the patterns of sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead. She managed a giggle when a brown duck waddled out of the undergrowth, followed by a hoard of fluffy peeping ducklings. Nick stopped at a fork in the trail, taking her hand as he led her to an empty picnic area, strewn with leaves and branches like it hadn't been used in years.

"What's going on, babe?" He pulled her with him when he sat on a stone bench in the shade. She shook her head again.

"I can't tell you," she couldn't even look at him. "I don't want you to worry!"

He cupped her cheek, turning her face toward him.

"You're making me worry more by noe telling me," he said, then his frown deepened. "And I know you still think I'm just screwing with you sometimes, but I'm not lying when I say I care about you. Please, Judy, just tell me what's wrong."

She stared at him, then pulled back, letting her ears fall in her face as she pushed up her pink-striped sleeve. He gasped.

"You've been…cutting yourself?"

She cringed.

"I thought I'd stopped for good this time," she stuttered hurriedly. She yanked down her sleeve and turned away, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Her voice broke when she spoke again. "I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd leave if you realized how screwed up I am."

She jumped up, barely making it a step when he grabbed her wrist. He stood, tugged her to his chest and hugged her, hard.

"I'd never do that to you, Judy," he said softly. "You could kill someone and it wouldn't change how I feel."

She gasped, tears welling in her eyes as she stared at him. She'd never heard so much conviction in somebody's voice.

"Really?"

He smiled, then kissed her tenderly.

"Really," he kissed her again, putting an arm around her when they sat back down. "And since we're here, there's something I wanted to ask you."

He reached in his jacket pocket, showing her a smaller copy of his class ring.

"Will you be my girl?"

* * *

he shifted impatiently in the uncomfortably plush seat. He'd barely fallen asleep when the call had come in, an urgent summons to headquarters. It was going on two in the morning when the sleepy wombat maid who'd left him in the foyer returned to lead him to the trophy room. An older gray wolf reclined in one of the velvet armchairs in front of the blazing fireplace, polishing an antique pistol from the tall lacquered cabinet against the wall.

"Have a seat, son," he didn't look up from his work. The maid stepped out, leaving the door slightly ajar. The agent swallowed hard before taking the other chair, his jaw tight as he tried to keep his growing anxiousness under control.

"I'm surprised it's taken this long," his boss broke down the gun on the small table in front of him to clean it more thoroughly. "You're usually a lot faster than this."

The agent sighed, leaning forward as he ran his hands over his face.

"I know what you're going to say," he started behind his steepled fingers. "That I need to quit fucking around and get the job done."

He nearly jumped when the older male chuckled.

"You're right, I should say that, but I'm not going to," he looked him in the eye. "I knew you wouldn't be able to kill her, I went through the same thing when I met her grandmother."

He blinked.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

The boss smoothed a hand over the thinning fur between his ears.

"I'm sure it's obvious to you by now, but she hasn't done anything to deserve this," he flashed a small smile, so much like hers. "I gave you her information because I wanted to show you there's more to life then silencing targets."

He stared at the wolf.

"Why didn't you save us all this time and just tell me?"

The gun was back together in a few seconds; he stood and locked it in the cabinet, before walking to the small bar on the other side of the room.

"Would you have bothered getting to know her if I had?"

He couldn't stop the embarrassed blush that hit his ears. The boss laughed again, passing him one of the open beers in his hands before sitting across from him again.

"I know you don't like being kept in the dark, and I am sorry for that, but you do like her, don't you?"

The blush deepened as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, yeah, I guess," he stammered. "I mean…"

The wolf smiled fondly, another expression he'd never thought he'd see.

"You mean it's more than that, isn't it?"

He scratched at an old scar peeking past his collar, then took a few slugs of beer.

"The truth is I…" he had to clear his throat. "I think I'm in love with her."

The wolf held out his own drink.

"Now that's exactly what I wanted to hear."

He took a long sip, wiping his mouth as a concise knock shifted the door inward. The same maid from before poked her head in.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're ready, sir."

The boss nodded.

"Perfect."

He set the bottle on the table and got to his feet, a small smile still on his face when he looked back to the agent,

"You can go, son," he lowered his voice. "And thank you."

The agent had barely begun to stand when the old wolf suddenly grabbed him, jabbing him in the shoulder with a needle. Whatever drugs were shot into him worked fast, the amber bottle breaking on the hardwood floor, his legs giving out as his body went numb,

"I'm sorry," the voice sounded close, yet far away, echoing over the blood rushing in his ears. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

Nick froze, his pen hovering over a half-inked picture. The power had been knocked out by the storm raging outside, and his phone had died an hour ago, but he could have sworn he'd heard voices somewhere. He grabbed the battery-powered lantern from the kitchen table, following the noise to the basement. He eased the door open, avoiding the spots that creaked on the stairs, stopping dead when he saw what was happening.

Judy was bound hand and foot with black bandanas, lying in a puddle. Two guys stood over her, as soaked as she was, their eyes widening behind their gray goalie masks, their shadows bouncing on the walls when the lantern hit the landing.

"Shit!"

Nick lurched as thunder cracked overhead, ignoring the burning pain in his side as he chased them, slipping on the concrete steps leading to the backyard. He made sure they were gone before hauling the heavy doors shut, tying a length of thick rope through the handles. Judy had managed to free herself, shivering as she watched him.

"T-Those guys came at me out of nowhere," her teeth were chattering. "They dragged me to their car, tied me up and broke in here. I-It almost sounded like they wanted to frame you for something."

He pulled a towel from the shelf by the dryer, tossing it to her before digging through the basket on top of it.

"You're okay, though, right?"

"Y-Yeah," she stripped off her soaked clothes, flashing a blue-tinged smirk. "You were going to see me naked sooner or later, just be glad I picked black underwear this morning."

He laughed, laying one of his old baseball shirts on the washer.

"I don't have anything else that fits you, but it's better than nothing."

He groaned, staring at the streak of blood on his side. She gasped, dropping the towel as her hands flew to her mouth.

"Oh God…"

"It's fine," he waved it off. "Whoever shot wasn't aiming, it barely grazed me."

He went over and picked up the towel, smiling at her pout as he started drying her ears.

"What about you?"

She nodded, blushing when he kissed her forehead.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just thirsty."

She finished drying off, dropping the towel again to catch the shirt when he tossed it at her. She tugged it over her head, grabbing the lantern from the floor as she followed him upstairs.

"How'd you even end up with those guys in the first place?"

"I snuck out after Kara was asleep," she admitted. "Jack told me about a place you guys like, I wanted to check it out."

"You went alone?" he asked incredulously. "With it raining like this in the middle of the night?"

She scoffed, pushing past him.

"Like the rest of you never do anything stupid. Where's your first-aid kit?"

She went off to look for it before he could answer; he rolled his eyes, went to the couch and plopped down. He'd left the curtains open so he could watch the storm, oily clouds flashing silver-blue as sheets of rain were blown down the empty street.

"You're pretty calm for someone who was just shot at," she came back with the kit tucked under her arm. "Don't tell me it's happened before."

"When I was twelve," he rubbed his upper thigh. "I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He kept still when she pushed up his shirt, holding it with one hand as she dug around in the kit with the other. It didn't take her long to clean and bandage the cut, shallow as it was.

"Nick, you trust me, don't you?"

He blinked.

"Of course I do. Why would you think I don't?"

"Because you won't tell me anything, even though you already know pretty much everything there is to know about me," she crossed her arms. "It's starting to feel like you love keeping me in the dark."

He stood with her, taking her hand when she went to put the kit away.

"I'm not trying to keep anything from you, Judy," he said. "There's just a lot of shit I've had to deal with that I don't know how to tell you about, especially with all the crap you've had to go through."

He put an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

"I promise I'll tell you about it all eventually, I just need to finish sorting it out first."

She looked up at him, then nodded.

"Okay," she laid her head on his chest. "I guess I can wait."

He smiled, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Pathetic."

The spy's eager smile twisted into a disgusted sneer, cold eyes narrowing in disgust. Just when things might have started to get interesting for once!

 _"Your opinions aren't important right now, Dusk,"_ a deep voice cracked harshly through the headset. Dusk scoffed.

"Why are you still making me sit and watch them?" They demanded impatiently. "Why can't I just kill them now?"

There was a brief, muted argument in the background, then a distant door slammed shut.

 _"Because taking out either of them now would cause too much suspicion,"_ the boss snapped testily. _"We can't afford any more unnecessary risks."_

They scoffed.

"You know I do my job thoroughly," they returned sharply. That was the biggest problem with this agency, red tape and the higher ups always getting in the way of what needed to be done. But nothing was more important than the mission, no matter what anybody else claimed. "No one would ever find them."

A second, shorter pause.

 _"You don't need to remind me how well you do your Jon, and it still doesn't change your orders. Their time will come,"_ the old male continued. _"But for now, we need them alive, and for the time being, it's part of your job to keep them that way. Understand?"_

Dusk shifted in the soil, fingers itching for the rifle waiting in their small apartment at the base. They knew how easy it would be to go against orders, but this time the punishment just wouldn't be worth it.

"But how much longer?" they asked. "And why me?"

 _"Because you're the only one available right now,"_ the boss answered. _"And I understand your frustration, but there's still a few things he needs to do for me. After that, you can do whatever you want with them."_

Dusk giggled, the sneer lifting back into a grin.

"I can hardly wait."

* * *

 _Mr. S' full name is Thomas Selma, and I actually wish I'd had reason to put him in the story more, I just think he's cool._


	14. Chapter 14

Judy folded the last towel and dropped it in the basket by the washer. She's locked herself in the basement after Kara had staggered out of the black BMW that had pulled into the driveway, practically wrapped around that weekend's boy toy. Judy had still been able to hear them from the master bedroom, and had barely kept from screaming when it had finally died down.

She tossed the dryer sheet in the trash and headed upstairs, locking the door when she went outside. She loved how it smelled here, like maple trees and freshly-mowed grass. She smiled when she saw Nick a few houses up the street, tossing a duffle bag in the back of his car.

"Hey, Nick," she jogged to his driveway. "Where are you headed?"

"My grandparents' place," he tossed his keys on the driver's seat. "Promised I'd watch it while they're out of town this weekend. What about you?"

"Kara's passed out, about time," she shuddered a bit. "Thought I'd sneak out and take a walk."

He chuckled.

"Why don't you come with me? There's something I've wanted to show you."

She blushed.

"Sure, sounds like fun."

 _Isola_ was even more incredible in the spring sunlight. The trees and shrubs had been trimmed into near spirals and spheres, the lawn lush and green. The gravel drive was an elegant gray arch, the flower garden in the middle bursting with color.

The house itself was surprisingly simple; two long white stories with a slanted dark green roof and shutters, ionic columns holding up a wide balcony over the wrap around porch.

"I almost forgot how gorgeous this place is," she pouted at Nick. "You're so lucky!"

He chuckled, slinging the strap of his bag over his shoulder as he locked the car.

"Yeah, but it gets kind of old after a while, if you can believe it," he smiled warmly, taking her hand. "But I want to show you something that never does."

* * *

"Wow…"

It was all Judy could think to say. The clearing was smaller than the one behind their street, a gurgling stream running down a small hill to a crystal blue pond. Wildflowers peppered the long grass with splashes of color and birds darted through the azure sky, their feathers shining in the sunlight. Nick pulled lightly on the reins, the emu squawking as he dismounted with practiced ease.

"How did you find this place?" Judy couldn't stop looking around as he helped her down, taking a few wobbling steps before falling to her knees by the pond. He shrugged, tethering the bird to a low, thick branch.

"I was just riding one day," he rubbed the animal's beak, smiling fondly. "And Oro kind of led me here."

Oro bobbed his head, then started pecking at the grass. Judy giggled.

"Why didn't we just walk? It's not that far."

Nick chuckled and sat down next to her.

"What good's being loaded if you don't show off once in a while?"

She laughed again, tracing the design on his shirt when he laid back. The afternoon sun shone overhead, a gentle breeze rustling through the trees. Smirking impishly, she pressed herself against his side, dragging a hand down his stomach as she slid one leg between his.

"I was thinking about asking Skye and Heather to hit the pool," she traced a claw over the clasp of his jeans. "But I think I like this better."

She gasped when he suddenly grabbed her, pulling her on top of him. He kissed her roughly, keeping tight hold of her; he threaded his fingers through her tail, pushing his tongue past her lips.

"You and me both, babe," he panted quietly, then kissed her again. She straddled him, shoving him back when he tried to sit up, feeling her ears burn as she pulled off her shirt; he let out a shocked laugh when she started unbuttoning his. "Didn't see this coming."

"Me, either," she leaned down, her legs tightening on his hips as her chest pressed against his. She bit her lip, groaning as he grabbed her butt. She froze when his hands started to trace up her sides, brushing the tuft of fur on her breast. He kept a hand on her back as he pushed himself up, running a nail over a raised scar on her shoulder before grabbing her shirt from the grass.

"You don't have to push yourself with this," he said. "Just being with you is enough."

She nodded, letting him help her to her feet, then keeping her back to him as she tugged her shirt over her head. He brushed one of her limp ears over her shoulder.

"You've been through a lot the last few months," he fixed his own shirt. "We can take things as slow as you need to."

She looked at him, smiling as she rested her head on his chest. He hugged her, kissing the top of her head.

"It'll be getting dark soon, how about we head back?"

"Yeah," she pressed closer to him, wanting to get lost in the feel of him. "Sounds good."

* * *

Heather drummed her pencil impatiently on the table. Skye had been staring across the library for most of study hall, since Nick and Judy had taken an empty table at the end of the row.

"Something's up with those two," the vixen muttered. "I'm sure of it."

Heather rolled her eyes and tried to focus on her world history book, it was the last day to study before finals.

"So what if there is," she asked in annoyance. "Why's it such a big deal?"

Skye ignored her, the smaller girl's eyes narrowing as Nick put his arm around Judy, smiling as he explained something to her. Heather grabbed Skye's shoulder and snapped her back around.

"What is going on here?" she demanded quietly. "Why are you so obsessed with them all of a sudden?"

Skye stared at her, then sighed.

"Isn't it obvious? Something's going on with them, something that really shouldn't be!"

Heather scoffed.

" _You_ were the one who wanted them to get together in the first place," she snapped. "They've been dating for weeks, and _now_ you think something's wrong with it?"

Skye shrugged off her hand.

"I didn't know what to think of Nick then," she crossed her arms. "But now I know he's just not right!"

Heather fought the urge to drop her face into her book. She'd hoped the fox had finally gotten past her unease about Nick, but instead, it had gotten to the point where it was the only thing Skye could focus on.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked. "He's just about perfect!"

"I know, and that's what's not right about him," she glanced at the table again, someone else had taken it. "He's hiding something, I'm sure of it!"

Heather grit her teeth.

"What could he possibly be hiding?"

"I don't know yet," Skye admitted. "But there's a reason he hasn't dated anyone since Emily, and now Judy comes along and they're practically married!"

Heather stared at her.

"Emily practically killed herself in front of the whole school, remember? And Stephanie's obsessed to the point of trying to _murder_ mammals, he's probably just excited that somebody normal is into him for once."

Skye slouched in her seat.

"It doesn't help that Judy hasn't told me anything about it," she complained. "Why would she leave me out like that, after everything else she's trusted me with?"

"It couldn't have anything to do with how hostile you've been toward Nick lately," Heather quipped sarcastically. Skye snorted.

"I'm just trying to look out for her," she answered. "She's been through too much already, I have to be sure he's not just screwing with her."

Heather groaned, digging in her backpack for her last pack of gum. She tore off the paper and jammed the stick in her mouth, chewing forcefully before letting out a long breath.

"Nick's been through hell and back, too. He knows what it's like to be screwed with, he'd never do that to someone else!"

They jumped when the librarian cleared his throat, the water deer fixing them with a steely glare from a row of shelves.

"I'd appreciate it if you took this conversation elsewhere, girls," he stated flatly. "Or you're welcome to continue it in the principal's office, take your pick."

They nodded, grabbed their stuff and headed out to the front steps. Heather didn't bother trying to study, knowing she'd never focus with Skye around.

"Think about it, Heather," she didn't miss a beat. "There's always somewhere else he has to be, and when he does hang out with us, it's never too long before he has to run off somewhere."

"That's because he's a workaholic," the coyote reminded her. "And he's always been more of a loner, you know that."

Skye didn't answer, rummaging in her backpack for her notebook; she found an empty page and started scribbling like crazy. Heather leaned closer, her jaw dropping when she saw the list.

 _She can't be serious!_

Skye had written everything known about the Blackwood Slayer in the left column, and was copying several qualities to the other, headed by Nick's name.

"What the hell?!" she snatched it. "Are you nuts?!"

"You wish," Skye swiped it back. "I can't believe no one's figured this out yet!"

Heather clenched her jaw.

"Figured out what," she demanded. "That Nick's not perfect? News flash, nobody is!"

"You know that's not what I mean," she held the book to her chest. "He's got to be the Slayer, it all makes sense!"

Her giggle sounded crazy.

"It all fits, and I'm going to prove it!"

Heather shuddered when the vixen turned to her, that unsettling grin just getting wider.

"But I can't do it myself, which means you're going to help me!"

Heather gaped at her.

"Hang on, I'm _what_?"

"Going to help me prove Nick's a murderer," she crossed her arms again. "And I know just where we can start."

* * *

It wasn't the first time Nick had stayed late after his shift at his uncle's restaurant, left to clean up the mess left over from his cousins' insane prank wars. It didn't help that the air conditioner had died the week before, the kitchen becoming a sauna in the unseasonal heat. He tied the last trash bag and tugged off his apron, tossing it in the laundry bin by the back door on his way to the dumpster. It was a clear night, the full moon highlighting everything in silver; he stopped cold at a laugh, his eyes narrowing when he saw the wolf leaning against a light post.

"You've really grown up, small fry."

Nick's fists clenched. That damn nickname again.

"Who the hell are you?"

The wolf chuckled.

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

He shouldered himself from the pole, hands in his pockets like he didn't have a care in the world.

"I guess that's not important right now," his wrist flicked, a switchblade gleaming in his hand. "There's something else I have to talk to you about."

"And what would that be?" Nick's hand inched behind his back. The wolf smirked.

"I wouldn't do anything stupid if I were you, unless you didn't plan on living past tonight."

Nick scowled, crossing his arms.

"Just tell me what you want."

The wolf smirked, still toying with his knife.

"Judy's pretty cute, isn't she?"

He went stiff.

"What does she have to do with this?"

The other male shrugged, then started trimming his claws with the tip of the blade.

"Think of it as a warning," he glanced up, his eyes glinting coldly. "If you ever think about going AWOL again, she'll be the one paying the price."

The humid air crackled when Nick stormed forward, stopping in his tracks when a red dot flashed on his chest.

"This is your last chance," the wolf put his knife away. "And you know I'd rather not kill anyone I don't have to."

A black van with smashed headlights peeled into the lot behind him, the smell of trash and stale beer spilling out when the back door slammed open. The wolf pulled something from his pocket and let it flutter to the ground. Nick waited until the vehicle was gone before going to grab the slip of paper, his stomach dropping when he turned it over.

The photograph showed him and Judy at the garden; it was crinkled, the corners burnt, their faces circled in red. He swallowed hard, the air starting to crackle again.

 _They're not getting away with this!_

* * *

Nick cut the engine and climbed out of the car, staring at the dark clouds building overhead. It had been weird, seeing his old foster mom after all this time, but she was one of the best jewelers in the state, and there was no one else he trusted with Judy's birthday gift. He hurried to the porch when lightning flashed, stopping short when he heard talking inside.

"You sure we got the right place?" the cracking voice was impatient.

"Don't be stupid," another scoffed. It was deeper, confident and familiar. "Of course we do."

Nick stepped back, avoiding the board that creaked as he vaulted over the side railing, going around to the back of the house. The blinds were closed there, too, the lock on the kitchen door jammed open. He slipped inside, putting an ear to the door that opened on the living room.

"Where is this fool?" the younger one cocked a gun. "I want to shoot something already!"

"Go find a bird, then," his partner snapped. "We were ordered to wait here until he got back, and that's what we're going to do."

Nick froze when footsteps closed in, sighing silently in relief when the mammal passed by.

"I'm going upstairs, might be something interesting there."

"Don't even think about it," a different stride, smoother and longer. "We're here to kill, not steal."

"I wasn't going to steal anything," he laughed. "Just wanted to see if his bitch was around."

Nick threw the door open before he could stop himself, his stomach dropping when he saw the muzzle of a gun an inch from his nose. Gabriele sneered, his fingers shaking on the grip.

"Guess you're not as dumb as I thought."

His partner, a kit fox with old burns visible under patchy facial fur, flashed a twisted, lopsided smile.

"About time you showed up!"

"And I think you know why we're here," Gabriele's finger tightened on the trigger. Nick threw out a hand, knocking the gun aside as it fired. The bullet cut past his ear as he slammed his heel in Gabriele's gut, throwing the male against the corner of the wall. A second shot went wild as the scarred kid panicked; an elbow upside the head was all it took to put him down for the count. Nick snatched the pistol, jamming it against Gabriele's head after hauling the tod up by his collar.

"What the hell are you doing here," he demanded. "Who the fuck sent you?"

His cousin cringed, then threw his head forward, catching Nick in the throat. He coughed violently, the gun firing as his hand jerked. Gabriele screamed, falling to the floor with a ragged, bloody hole in his slacks. Nick rubbed his neck, tapping the weapon's grip on the male's good knee as he crouched beside him.

"I'll give you one last chance," his voice burned. "Tell me, who the hell sent you? What the hell do they want?"

Gabriele glared at him, then spat in his face.

"You might as well just kill me," he started haggardly. "I'll never say anything."

Nick stared at him, wiping his face as he got to his feet. He grabbed his phone from the pocket of his jacket.

"Yeah, this is Nick Wilde," he kept close watch on Gabriele. "I need to report a break-in, we'll need an ambulance, too."

He ended the call, his lip curling when he saw the tears building in his cousin's eyes.

"Please," he begged brokenly. "Please just kill me, you know they'll do it anyway!"

Nick's glare darkened, and he knelt back down.

"Then you better stop wasting time, and tell me what I want to know."


	15. Chapter 15

Nick grabbed the last empty soda can and dropped it in the bag he'd used to clean up, tying it shut and tossing it on the coffee table. The only thing Gabriele had been able to tell him was that whoever had hired him had felt Nick was a threat to their plans, and they had paid good money to see him gone. He'd begged to be killed again, but Nick had stuck with saying a pair of addicts had broken in and tried robbing him at gunpoint.

And now he couldn't stop wondering why he hadn't done it.

Had he wanted the other tod to know what it was like, having to live with a death threat hanging over his head? He figured it had more to do with the fact he couldn't bring himself to murder his own family, even when several of them had done so much worse to him.

Amy and Carson's cruel laughter through his head, forcing him to remember the terrified weekends he'd spent in the house while parents were alive. It had gotten to the point he'd had to lock himself in his room every night, sobbing into his pillow while the four of them had played games and watched movies downstairs. He remembered how forced their parents' laughter had always sounded, as though they'd been as afraid of the two as he had been.

 _That was probably why they never did anything about it,_ he sat n the arm of the couch, shivering as he tried to push the memories back where they belonged: locked away and forgotten in the corners of his mind, at least for a while. There was no point in thinking about them anymore.

 _And I've got something a lot more important to do,_ he glanced at his watch and got to his feet, grabbing the bag on his way to the garage. It was almost seven, he'd have to move fast if he wanted to get there in time.

* * *

Judy slumped in the backseat of Skye's pale pink car, staring blankly at the pouring rain. She tugged at the hem of the short turquoise dress Heather had somehow talked her into wearing. The two had been begging her to come with them tonight for a week; the only reason she'd said yes was the promise they'd leave the second she'd had enough. Heather glanced at her in the rearview mirror, frowning.

"You and Nick are the only ones I know who aren't happy on their birthdays."

Judy just sighed, pressing herself into the back of the seat. There was a lot she wanted to say: how Kara had ruined her birthday forever, and that she'd spent the last one in a hospital room, but instead, she blurted the one question they had refused to answer the last few days.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"The club Jack's parents run," Skye brushed loose fur from her cheek and pulled into a covered parking lot. The low black building had a flashing neon sign, two uniformed wolf officers standing by the propped open doors sniffing everybody who came inside. Skye shut the car off and stuffed her keys in her purse, then took out three red plastic wristbands. "It's all-age, so they have to make sure no one has drugs on them."

"At least try and have some fun, Judy," Heather turned in her seat and took the bunny's hand snapping the last one on her wrist. "But if you're still not into it after thirty minutes, then we'll go."

Judy watched the mammals loitering at the edge of the canopy over the lot, thumping electronic music blaring as lights flashed and changed through the doors.

"We know this isn't easy for you," Skye climbed out and fixed her skirt. She was in yellow, Heather in red. "But if might help you get you mind off things, and the guys said they had a surprise for you later."

Judy looked at them as she stepped on the asphalt, then glanced behind her. It was pitch black past the parking lot, and the rain was starting to come down in sheets.

"Fine," she turned back to them and flashed a weak smile. "Let's do it."

* * *

Heather was relieved when Judy ended up having a good time; a group of freshman girls from the university had invited them to a table after a few songs for a shouted, giggly conversation about movies and bands, though they'd gone their own way once they'd been back on the dance floor.

She craned her neck to see over the crowd as she helped Judy hunt for another table, snickering when she saw the DJ jamming along to his own music in the booth above the stage. She tapped Judy's shoulder when she spotted Skye, struggling to keep a tray upright as she made her way through the thrumming throng of mammals.

"Sorry it took so long, guys," she laughed when she reached them. "The line was nuts!"

"This whole place is nuts, in case you forgot!" Heather took her cherry slush and Judy's iced strawberry limeade, waiting for her to put the tray on top of a trashcan before they finally snagged some open seats by the wall.

"I thought the guys were supposed to be here by now," she leaned closer to Skye, hoping Judy couldn't hear them over the noise. Skye nibbled the metal straw in her frosted blackberry lemonade as she pulled out her phone. There was a text from Chad onscreen, they were waiting to be called up. She sighed. "About time."

"Skye looked over her shoulder, the two of them watching Judy turn down the latest in a string of boys who had wandered over to ask for a dance. It was clear she was starting to reach her limit. She turned to the stage when the DJ shut off the music, going stiff when she saw the guys climbing on the stage.

"You kept asking for them, everybody," he announced, grinning widely. "So let's hear it for G6!"

The room erupted in cheers, half the girls screaming louder when Nick pushed back his rain-spattered hood, wearing the gleaming smile he so rarely did.

"This goes out to a special girl here tonight," he motioned for the band to start playing. "Happy birthday, babe."

Heather turned to Judy as he joined in, her own excitement fading when she saw the mascara and blush streaking her fur. She pressed her hands to her mouth, shaking with suppressed sobbing as she stared at the stage. Skye jumped to her feet when the song ended, catching Judy's wrist.

"What's wrong?"

Judy shook her head, tugging out of her grip.

"I'm hitting the bathroom," she was barely audible past the cheering. "Be back in a bit."

She took off, skirting the crowd before disappearing around a corner.

* * *

Nick pulled off his guitar and leaned it against the amp, ignoring the girls that crowded him as he climbed off the stage. He looked at his phone again, biting his lip when he read Skye's text.

 _'We messed up, Judy ran off crying'_

He ignored the curvy cheetah trying to stop him, doing his best to block out her screaming gushes about the song as he searched for Judy. She liked to go off on her own when she was upset, and the further away from others, the better. That left only one option.

The alarm on the back door had never been repaired, and it had been left open, knocking against the wall in the wind. He could hear muffled sobbing past the slowing rain.

"Judy?"

He stepped out, seeing her with her back pressed to the wall next to the dumpster. She was soaked through, her dress clinging to her, ruined makeup trailing down her cheeks. She jumped when he covered a cough with his sleeve, thankful he'd grabbed his back jacket as he wiped roughly at his mouth. He caught her hand before she could take off, pulling her to his chest and hugging her tightly.

"Where did you hear that song," she asked tearfully, her face buried in his chest. He shrugged off his coat and draped it around her shaking shoulders.

"Jack gave me the sheet music for it," he steered her toward the parking lot. "He said some guy named Andy wrote it for you."

She nodded, rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

"He was my first boyfriend, he played it for me a few weeks before he was killed."

He sighed heavily, pulling back from her when they got to his car.

"I'm sorry, Judy," his fist tightened around his keys. "I didn't know it would bring up such bad memories."

She shook her head, managing to smile a bit when she turned to him.

"Jack didn't know, either, he was absent when Andy played it for me, and I never told him about it. I didn't even know he'd given it to Jack."

She jumped closer to him when thunder crashed overhead, the rain coming down hard again. He hugged her, pressing a kiss to the top of her wet head.

"I meant every word of it," he said softly. "If that makes you feel any better."

She nodded, then turned to the club, the crowd having started to spill past the front doors.

"Listen, can we go? I really don't feel like going back in there."

He nodded and unlocked the car, holding the passenger door open for her.

"Whatever you want, babe."

* * *

"Is hearing that song again the only reason you wanted to split?"

Nick laid back on the couch with his hands behind hid head. Judy was curled up in the recliner, looking almost like a doll in the old shirt he'd lent her. They had both been soaked when they'd gotten to his place, and she hadn't wanted to go back to Skye's. She shrugged.

"The truth is I didn't want to go in the first place, but Skye and Heather got so excited about taking me that I couldn't say no."

She stroked her damp ears, limp over her shoulder, staring blankly at the patterned rug in front of the fireplace; he almost never used it, but had made an exception tonight. She'd scrubbed away every trace of makeup as she'd dried off, and she'd visibly struggled not to throw her dress in the trash before hanging it over the shower curtain rod.

"You're thinking about your family, aren't you," he asked after a while. She hesitated, then slowly nodded.

"It's my second birthday without them," she said quietly. "And I was barely out of a coma last year."

He groaned, holding his stomach as he sat up. The pain had been getting worse lately, and there didn't seem to be any end in sight.

"Judy, we've all talked to you about this—"

"Not everyone gets over shit as quickly as you do, Nick," she snapped angrily. He stood and went to the chair, gripping her shoulders firmly.

"I know how much you miss them," he knelt down. "But _you_ know they wouldn't want to see you crying over them for the rest of your life, they'd want you to be happy."

She sniffled.

"I feel like crying is the only thing I can do," her helpless gaze cut him to the core. "They were all I had!"

"And they're still with you, Judy," he took her cold hands. "They always will be."

He wiped a tear from her cheek.

"I wish I could make this easier for you."

She looked at him, then sighed.

"You have your own stuff to deal with, you don't have to carry everyone else's."

He brought them both to their feet.

"I just can't stand seeing you like this."

She took her hands away and held them to her chest.

"You're always doing a hundred things at once," she told him. "I've never seen you fully relaxed before."

She crossed her arms.

"And don't give me the same crap about how you 'like to stay busy'," she went on. "It's because you don't want to have any time to think about what happened to you, but I know from experience that it won't help you heal. You can't just keep distracting yourself from what's important."

He let out a breath, brushing her forehead.

"You're the only thing that's important to me, Nick."

She waved his hand away.

"That's just it, Nick, you spend all this time caring about everybody else, but you don't take two seconds to think about yourself."

He stared at her, letting out an incredulous laugh before going back to the couch.

"You really want to know why I'm like this?" he asked as she sat next to him. She nodded.

"You're always telling me that it'll help to talk about it, I think it's time you took your own advice."

He chuckled again.

"All right," he searched for where to start. "Well, you know what I was like as a kid, right?"

She brushed her ears behind her shoulder.

"I've heard a couple things, but I'm still not sure what exactly happened."

He pulled up his shirt and folded down the lip of his sweats; he was still getting used to not hiding the old scar with a bandage. It was the size of his palm, the lines somewhat faded and obscured by his fur, but still all too clear.

"I don't remember when Amy and Carson started abusing me," he said. "But he did this when I was three."

She gasped her eyes widening as she pressed her hands to her mouth.

"W-Why would he do that?"

"I don't know," he fixed his clothes. "All I really remember is him saying he needed to teach me a lesson."

He sat stiffly, an uneasy silence falling over them as the rain trickled off outside, thunder rumbling distantly. After a while, he tilted her head back, pressing a sift kiss to her lips.

"I wanted to give you something after the song," he took a small wrapped box from his pocket and handed it to her. "But I think now works better."

She handled it like it was blown glass, carefully peeling off the shimmering midnight paper, gasping when she opened the lid. The necklace was gold, the delicate chain set with a small, heart-cut ruby.

"Oh, Nick," tears filled her eyes again. "It's beautiful!"

He smiled, brushing her damp cheek with the backs of his fingers.

"I wanted to show you how much you meant to me," he brought it out as she pulled her ears up off her neck, blushing as he clasped it for her. The gold glinted in the firelight as she turned back to him, contrasting her fur perfectly.

"You look amazing."

He kissed her again, feeling her fingers tangle in his cheek fur as he leaned back against the arm of the couch; she straddled him, her legs tightening on his hips, and he started to reach for the hem of her shirt.

 _I never want this to end…_

* * *

Heather peered through the small window on the door, keeping watch for passing officers. She'd had to convince her brother that their aunt, the island's historian, had asked her to find some information in the station's archives. She turned to see Skye digging through the latest in an endless line of boxes and files, wondering why she always insisted on coming in the middle of the night.

"Why couldn't we have come earlier? We wouldn't have to sneak around like this."

"I don't want anyone to find out what we're looking for," Skye answered, in a frustrated whisper she could barely hear. "Besides, we had Judy's birthday party earlier tonight."

Heather bit her tongue to keep from groaning out loud.

"Well, hurry it up," she hissed impatiently. "I'm starting to freak out over here!"

Skye looked carefully over the papers in front of her, put away what she didn't want and stuffed the rest in her backpack.

"Okay, I've got enough for now," she stood up, clutching it to her chest. "Is the hall empty?"

Heather ducked back when she saw the passing shadow of a capybara officer on the night shift, humming a show tune that echoed a bit in the silent hallway.

"We're good," she whispered when he turned the corner. They hurried to the back door, left unlocked by her brother, the alarm and camera set to be replaced in the morning. Half of the lights in the parking lot were flickering, the others knocked dead by the storm. Heather tugged his keys from her pocket and unlocked his car.

"They're only back there once or twice a year," Skye sounded sickeningly confident as they climbed in. "That gives us plenty of time to find what we need."

Heather rolled her eyes and started the engine, adjusting the rearview mirror.

"And just what are you trying to find, exactly?"

Skye fastened her seatbelt and tucked the bag by her feet.

" _We_ are going to expose Nick's true colors," she said smugly. "After all, you're the one who said there was something you didn't trust about him."

"Uh, _you've_ always said that, Skye," Heather reminded her. "You've been bringing it up since we were kids, and you're also the only one who still listens to those stupid stories about him."

Skye shrugged.

"Well, we're finally going to prove them," she flicked some loose fur off her shoulder. "And I have to make sure Judy isn't going to end up in any kind of trouble, she's been through enough."

Heather stopped at a red light, checking the mirrors. No one was following them yet, at least that she could see.

"You really think someone like Nick could cause any trouble?" she swiped at the layer of dust on the dash. "He barely even speaks up in class half the time, and I don't know anyone who volunteers as much as he does."

The light turned, and Heather made sure to stay under the speed limit.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Skye crossed her arms. "There's no way he'd try so hard to build a reputation like that unless he wanted to hide something, that's just how it works."

She smiled and patted the bag.

"It's obvious he's keeping some huge secret, and this time, nobody is going to stop me from finding out what it is."

Heather bit her lip, barely able to focus on the road with all the questions swirling through her mind. There was clearly something more to Skye's obsession than she was saying, but what could it be? How had she become so convinced that the Nick Wilde they knew was a huge lie in the first place? She swallowed hard, hoping at the very least that she wouldn't be there when it all blew up.

 _Why do I keep letting her drag me into this?_

* * *

"You know, you could have said something before ditching us," Chad complained. Jack nodded, standing over a trashcan as he held a wad of tissues to another summer nosebleed. The three of them were lounging in Nick's basement, after spending the day washing cars in the heat. "Lance and Dante are getting pretty sick of having to cover your ass all the time."

Nick fell back on the futon, his ears and nose tinged with a sunburn.

"I said we were only doing that song," he argued. "You're the ones who insisted on doing more."

Chad grabbed an orange Powerade from the fridge, sitting on the rug with his back against the TV stand. Jack threw the tissues away and cleaned himself up, grabbed a water bottle and sat down on the arm of the futon.

"You're right, we should have cleared it with you," he told Nick. "But you're the one who said we need more exposure."

"Thursday was different," Nick said. "That was supposed to be something special for Judy."

"Too bad she didn't like it," Chad put in. "What happened to you two, anyway?"

Nick looked at Jack, who cringed.

"Her old boyfriend, Andy, wrote it for her," he explained. "He died a few weeks later, trying to save another kid during a school shooting."

He pressed the side of his fist to his forehead.

"I should have known it would upset her like that."

"It sounded like she wasn't in the mood for a party, anyway," Chad tried to balance the bottle on his knee. "Heather told me Judy spent most of the day crying, she and Skye pretty much had to drag her out when it was time to go."

Jack's shoulders slumped.

"I don't think you ever get over losing your family like that," he said glumly. "Especially when you're stuck with the mammal you know did it afterward."

"Why doesn't she just leave when Kara's not there?" Chad asked. "Why does she stay?"

Jack shook his head.

"She tried running away more than once when we were kids, but no matter how far she went, Kara always managed to find her," he took a long swig of water. "She finally gave up after having to spend two weeks in the hospital."

Nick's fist tightened, a DVD case falling from the TV stand.

"What I want to know is why the bitch gets away with it all," another case hit the floor. "How the hell did anyone not know what was going on?"

Jack scoffed.

"Believe me, it wasn't a secret, but everyone was either too afraid to help, or they thought Judy and Michael were exaggerating it all for attention."

"Kind of like what you went through," Chad told Nick. Nick sighed.

"The difference is, my situation stopped eventually, she's still trapped in it."

Chad thought a moment.

"Hasn't Kara been kind of MIA the last few weeks?"

Nick shrugged, and Jack nodded.

"I think so. Why?"

"Wouldn't it be pretty easy for her to move out, then?" he scratched a bug bite on his cheek. "It's not like the bitch would know she's gone."

"Until she came back, anyway," Jack reminded him. Chad coughed into his fist to hide his smirk.

 _Just let me handle that._

* * *

 _The song G6 plays at the club is Angel with a Shotgun by The Cab, definitely check it out for yourselves!_


	16. Chapter 16

_I've decided to make this story my main project for the rest of October, since I'm several chapters behind the original version, and I have something else planned for NaNoWriMo next month, so stay tuned for that!_

* * *

Judy fixed her rollerblades and tightened her wrist pads. Lance and Jack were on the half-pipe, Chad failing to grind the rails. He pitched forward and bit the concrete, his board clattering to the ground by his head. She laughed, then went to help him up.

"I'm starting to think you're trying to knock the rest of your teeth out," she commented. He pulled out his mouthguard and flashed his fake canine.

"Not my fault the ground loves me," he winced and rubbed his chin. "Crap, that hurt."

She laughed again, her grin fading as she looked around.

"Hey, you haven't seen Heather or Skye yet, have you?"

"Not since your, uh, party," he picked up his board and tucked it under his arm. "But Skye texted me this morning, said they couldn't come."

"Oh," she messed with her helmet strap. "I know it's stupid, but I'm starting to worry about them."

"You and me both."

He turned to the parking lot as Nick pulled into a spot by the gate. He wore his usual jeans despite the heat, the collar of his white tank top slightly damp.

"Was hoping I'd be called in so I could skip out," he said as she skated over. "I suck at this kind of thing."

"You work all the time, anyway," she grabbed his hand, trying to pull him into the park. He snapped his arm back, grabbing her waist when she hit his chest.

"And you owe me a date for this," he chuckled, then kissed her. She blushed, nodding as she grinned shyly up at him. He grabbed his board and helmet from the passenger seat, stopping short just inside the gate. He shoved Judy back as a shot rang out, his stuff falling to the concrete as the bullet ricocheted at his feet. He tensed, his fur bristling, clothes fluttering.

"You've gotten enough warnings," a lithe giant otter dropped from one of the maple trees that provided shade, a cruel, twisted grin on his lips as he leveled the gun at her. "It's past time you got the consequences."

Judy could see his finger tightening on the trigger, her heart jumping from her throat as Chad bowled into him, the shot going wild when the gun flew from his grip. Nick kicked it aside, Chad yanking the otter into a chokehold. He hardly seemed effected, sneering as he let out a nasty laugh.

"You really thought you could just walk away from this," he demanded. "They'll never let you go, you know too much!"

"What the heck's that supposed to mean?" Jack came up next to Judy. Nick shook his head, then swallowed hard.

"I don't know what the hell he's talking about," he said quickly. "I've never seen this clown in my life!"

The otter scoffed.

"I think we both know you'd never quit," he said. "You like killing too much."

Nick's fists clenched, his clothes fluttering again as though caught in the wind.

"I never killed anybody," he snapped. "You're delusional!"

The sneer twisted into a harsh glare, and he knocked his head into Chad's throat. He jammed his elbow in Chad's gut and shoved him back toward Lance, sending them both to the ground. Judy pressed her hands to her mouth, shaking as he turned to Nick, who seemed almost frozen.

"I don't blame you for wanting to leave," he started calmly. "But you didn't think we'd actually let you go, did you?"

Nick hesitated, then dove for the gun, catching himself in a roll before coming up on one knee, his grip steady as he aimed at the mammal.

"I shouldn't let you just walk away," he snarled, then his face went neutral. "But I'm not going to give you the satisfaction."

He stood, unloading the gun and dropping the full magazine at his feet, then threw the weapon over the fence. Judy could hear Jack talking on his cell, his voice distant and echoing, his hand burning hot on her shoulder. The world moved in slow motion as the otter lunged. Nick sidestepped him, grabbed his arm and swept his foot out from under him, tackling him to the ground. He shoved his knee in the other male's back, reality snapping into place as sirens started to tear through the breeze.

"Better count yourself lucky, asshole."

* * *

"And you're sure you have no idea who that guy was?"

Nick shook his head.

"He might have been one of my dad's business partners when I was a kid," he answered with a shrug. "I really don't know."

The water deer interrogating him sat back, letting out a breath as he smoothed a hand between his antlers.

"He was pretty adamant you two know each other," he said. "Nothing seemed familiar about him?"

Nick drummed his fingers impatiently on his thigh.

"I probably met him a couple times," he managed cooly. "But I don't remember anything about it."

The cop sighed again, then took a swig from the mug of cooling coffee in front of him.

"So there's no reason he would have tried to kill your girlfriend, and then you?"

Nick scoffed.

"The guy was delusional," anger leaked into his voice. "And it's not like it was the first time something like that happened. My dad wasn't exactly honest."

It was common knowledge that the Wilde family had had shady dealings in the past, it was the only way to explain some of the things they'd been able to accomplish. The deer nodded.

"He certainly made a few enemies."

Nick crossed his arms, staring at the tabletop.

"And now it looks like they're coming after me," he turned to the one-way mirror, envisioning the mammals watching in the dark on the other side of it, his reflection staring blankly back at him as he pushed out of his chair. "Look, I've already told you everything I can, I'll call or something if I remember anything else."

The officer nodded, terminating the interview on record. Nick had barely touched the knob when he heard a gun hammer click, getting thrown against the door front he force of the shot. He turned, pulling in pained breaths through gritted teeth as he stared at the smoking muzzle, then the twisted rage on the face of the male who held it.

"It's like I said," he leveled the weapon again. "Your father made _a lot_ of enemies."

He fired, Nick coughing violently as the round tore into his lung. He pressed his hands to his chest, trying to vain to stanch the blood that soaked his shirt, collapsing to his knees as he struggled just to gasp. His vision blurred, going dark at the edges as the deer walked up to him, a dark smile stretching across his face.

"Your little girlfriend is next," his voice echoed. "After I've had my fun with her."

He brandished the butt of the weapon, the world fading as it cracked against the side of Nick's head.

* * *

Chloe poked her head through the door, her heart sinking when she saw Judy slumped in the chair pulled close to Nick's bed. He was propped on his left side with a chest tube leading to a bag spotted with blood; he was on oxygen, a cut on his temple shaved, stitched and bandaged. Judy hadn't moved since he'd been wheeled into recovery, running her fingers through his fur when she wasn't sobbing into her hands. As much as it hurt to see him that way, Chloe was glad he'd finally found a girl who truly cared about him. She eased the door open, Judy sitting bolt upright when it clicked softly shut.

Her eyes were red, puffy, her cheeks stained with tears and half-dried streams of makeup. Her chin was trembling, her lips scabbed like she's spent most of the last few hours biting them. She hiccuped.

"Please tell me he'll be okay," she begged brokenly. Chloe swallowed.

"They managed to remove the bullets and repair his lung, but I'm afraid he still has a long way to go," she tucked the tablet under her arm. "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you."

Judy sniffled, grabbing the last tissue from the box in her lap, the small trashcan next to her overflowing with the rest. She wiped her nose and threw it away, her eyes watering when she looked at him again. He was in an induced coma, getting fluids and antibiotics through IVs, but the heart monitor was beeping steadily, showing he wasn't down for the count just yet.

"I hate it," Judy muttered. "But this is the most relaxed I've ever seen him."

Chloe took the chair from the other side of the bed and set it next to hers. Judy didn't bother wiping the tears when they started to slip down her face.

"He's never done anything to deserve this," she went on, her fists clenching in her lap. "Why would someone do this?"

Chloe hesitated, then touched her shoulder.

"You really care about him, don't you?"

Judy sniffled, nodding.

"He's one of the sweetest guys I've ever met," she managed a faint smile. "And one of the only ones who never tried using me."

"I'm sure he's told you this already," she took her hand away. "But he was really depressed before he met you, and now there's barely a day I see him where he's not smiling."

Judy's grin faded as she turned to him, reaching over to grip his wrist. She leaned forward, kissing the corner of his lips.

"I have to go," she choked on a sob. "But will you call me when he wakes up?"

Chloe nodded.

"I promise, you'll be one of the first to know."

Judy went to the door, nearly looking back as she opened it, then hurried out. Chloe traced a scar at his collar, pulling one of the needles she'd smuggled in the pocket of her scrubs, the thick liquid inside a dark, clouded amber.

"I'm sorry I have to do this…"

* * *

Judy hardly noticed how quiet it was as she wandered back to the waiting area, Lance, Chad and Jack waiting anxiously for any news she could give them. None of them had been able to reach Skye or Heather. Chad closed the old issue of _Times_ he'd been skimming through, tossing it on a side table as he got to his feet. There was a large bruise peeking through the fur on his chin, his cheek scraped half raw.

"How is he?"

She gulped, touching her necklace. She hadn't taken it off since Nick had given to her.

"He's asleep," she said, unable to go into more detail. "But they expect him to make a full recovery."

" _Gracias a Dios,_ " Jack sat upright, having been slouched next to Chad and reading over his shoulder, his rosary braided through his fingers. "What the hell's going on with this place?"

"I knew mammals had beef with his dad," Lance leaned against the wall, his hands stuffed in his pockets. "But I never thought they'd take it out on him."

"You really think that matters?" Chad touched his bruise and winced. "He's related, that's all they need."

Lance looked at the clock hung over the reception desk.

"Later than I thought, maybe one of us should take you home, Judy."

She shook her head.

"I was planning on staying here," she started nervously. "Or walking, less chance of running into Kara. She was passed out in her room when I left this morning."

Chad crossed his arms.

"I'd feel better if you were with one of us," he said. "We don't know how many friends that guy might have."

"Besides," Lance added. "Nick would hate us if we left you alone, especially now."

She glared tiredly at them.

"Since when were you guys so protective?"

Chad looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you didn't seem to care too much about what happened to me before."

"Wait, what?" Lance shook his head. "Where the hell did you get that idea?"

She sighed.

"I've gotten so used to mammals ignoring or hating me until they want something," she hugged herself. "I shouldn't have asked that, I know it's not fair to you guys."

"We don't blame you," Chad said. "And I promise we'd never do that to you, Judy, we're your friends."

She chuckled weakly.

"I guess I'm still getting used to having friends," she admitted. "Before I came here, Ty, Miranda and Andy were the only ones."

"But then he died, I moved and Miranda changed schools," Jack tucked his rosary in his pocket.

"We know about all that," Lance cut in. "But what else happened back there? You have as much trouble trusting mammals as Nick does."

She rubbed her arms, wondering when it had gotten so cold.

"I'm still not ready to talk about it," she gulped down air, feeling lightheaded. She heard them cry out, saw them rush toward her in slow motion, felt the fading pressure of a strong pair of hands, worried blue eyes staring down into hers as the world went black.

* * *

The aged mammal reclined in a high-backed reptile leather chair, a relic from a bygone era. He spun to face the tall windows, framing a wide view of the surrounding forest, emerald and jade tinted opal by the moonlight. He focused on the agent's reflection in the tinted glass, his eyes narrowing to unforgiving slits.

"Tell me," he started, his voice unnervingly calm. "How is it that my best mammals have been unable to take out a child?"

The younger male went stiff, fiddling with his crooked tie as he fumbled for an explanation.

"Uh, well, you see, it's—"

He cut himself off when the drumming started, a slow, steady beat of sharp claw tips on wood.

"He was supposed to be dead by now," the calmness was waning. "But that 'illness' of his has failed to do the job. That's why _you_ were hired."

He stopped tapping the arm of his chair, turning from the windows to face the room. He steepled his fingers in front of his mouth, resting his elbows on the edge of his desk.

"So what could possibly be keeping you from finishing this little assignment?"

The agent cowered another moment before straightening, his unnaturally pale eyes taking on some of their typical coldness.

"He used to be part of this agency, one of the best," he couldn't quite keep his voice from trembling. "So now he knows exactly what to expect from us."

He sat back, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Hmm, is that all?"

Clasping his hands, he leaned forward again, feeling a dark smile curl across his face as a nasty plan began to take shape in his mind.

"Then I think I know exactly how to handle him."


	17. Chapter 17

"Nick, are you sure you should be doing this?"

Judy nervously rolled the hem of her skirt along her thigh, watching the tod vent his rage. He'd spent days beating that old blue punching bag, his face locked in a snarl. He whirled, landing a brutal kick.

"You heard the doc," he answered briefly, breathing heavily. He slammed a fist against the bag, blind to the blood starting to trickle down the patched surface. "I'm fine."

She gulped, he was anything but.

"But he said you should take it easy!"

"Trust me," he finally stopped, snatching a towel and swiping roughly at his face. "I _am_ taking it easy."

She swallowed again as she got to her feet.

"I was almost killed," he dropped the towel around his neck, his injured fist tightening on the fabric. "And the bastard got off scot-free!"

"We all saw him get run over after the trial," she reminded him. "He's dead now, isn't that enough for you?"

He wiped his forehead, then shoved out a breath.

"I'm not the one I give a shit about," he turned to her, his eyes suddenly shining with fear. "I didn't want to say anything, but everyone who's come after me lately has threatened you, not just that nut at the skatepark."

She went stiff.

"Me? Why?"

He walked over and touched her cheek.

"Because they know hurting you will get to me," he explained. "You're pretty much all I've got left."

She put a hand over his, braiding their fingers together.

"You don't have to go through this alone," she said. "We're all here for you, Nick."

He started to smile, then stopped and shook his head.

"I'm not going to pull you guys into this," he let go and stepped back. "You don't have anything to do with it."

"Yes, we do," she returned firmly. "My mom always told me that you never leave the ones you care about behind, and I'm not about to do that now."

He shook his head again.

"It's not that easy, Judy," he started. "These mammals won't quit, and I promised myself I'd do whatever it took to protect you, and you should know by now that I never go back on my word."

She put her hands on her hips.

"And do you really think we'd let you do this alone? We're staying by your side and helping you fight, Nick, whether you like it or not."

He looked at her, then chuckled.

"I haven't met a lot of girls who can hold their own against me, not for this long."

She grinned.

"Better get used to it, because I'm about as stubborn as you are."

He laughed, leaning to kiss her when the door burst open, two officers rushing inside. The coyote snatched her away, the wolf twisting Nick's arms behind his back to put him in cuffs. She couldn't move as she watched him be led away, collapsing on the floor when she was released, sitting there and staring blankly at the faded wood floor.

"This can't be happening," she muttered, blocking her ears against the silence. "I-I'm dreaming, I have to be!"

She gasped when a door blew open, slamming against the wall. Skye's fur was wild, her ears and nose pale, her clothes ragged and filthy. Her hands were raw, scabbed and bruised, the air around her moldy and stale.

"Trust me," her voice was cold, hollow. "I wish you were dreaming, too."

"What happened to you?" Judy fell back, her legs too numb to stand. Skye's pitiful expression hardened, darkening into hatred.

"I needed to protect you," she answered. "I did what I had to."

Her torn, bloody lips curled in a ghastly smirk, her hand shaking as she held up a thick file.

"He's a killer, Judy," she went on. The file dropped to the floor, a sickening crack sounding as the vixen kicked it to her. "All the proof you need is right there."

Another gust blew the folder open, a stained newspaper clipping fluttering against the creased tape at its ragged edges. A headline blared, heavy and black, above a picture of a young fox kit, his shocked face as spattered with blood as the gun held loosely in his thin little hands. The wide-eyed expression slowly twisted into a sharp, terrifying smile.

"How's it feel to know the truth, little girl?"

A dark laugh filtered through the air, echoing ceaselessly around her. Judy pressed her hands back against her ears, clenching her eyes shut as she shook her head as fast as she could. Her stomach roiled when Skye shuffled closer, her touch unnaturally cold.

"He lied to us, Judy," her stare was vacant. Dark, clotted blood dripped from a gaping wound at her neck, frothing and bubbling with every rasping breath, staining and decaying everything it touched. "You're the only one left…"

She collapsed in a broken heap, her words hanging in the air like a bitter fog. Judy felt her back hit the wall, tears burning her skin as she continued to whimper.

"No, no, it's not true!"

* * *

"It's not true!"

Judy bolted upright, gasping fearfully as she swiped at her cheeks. She jumped aside when someone touched her shoulder, her heart pounding in her head as the world came slowly into focus. Nick sat back, holding up his hands, looking as terrified as she felt.

"It's okay," he said, his voice calming and low. "I promise, nothing's going to hurt you."

She panted around the lump in her throat, stiff and hesitant as he slowly wrapped his arms around her, gripping his jacket as she buried her face in his shirt. His warm strength soothed her, the solidness of his body telling her this was no longer a dream.

"Where am I," she managed, then pulled in a deep breath. He wore his usual spicy cologne, the scent mingling with his muted musk and the detergent from his clothes. "What happened?"

"You passed out in chemistry," he explained, stroking her limp ears like her parents had when she was little. "The fumes must have gotten to you, you're in the nurses's office."

He kissed the top of her head.

"You started shouting in your sleep," he continued. "Sounded like quite the dream."

She gulped, pressing closer to him before pulling back to look at him.

"Nightmare is more like it," she gave a small, shocked laugh. "You were arrested, and then Skye came, and…"

She spelled out the entire ordeal, never leaving his embrace. He was silent for a long time once she'd finished, his eyes narrowed as always when he was deep in thought.

"What the hell could have made you have a dream like that?"

"I don't know," she shook her head, the short action enough to leave her dizzy. Somehow, it also jogged her memory, bringing to mind a hushed conversation she'd had with Heather in study hall the day before. "But I think I know a way to find out."

* * *

Skye glanced through the window over the sink to be sure the kitchen was empty. It was hours past curfew, the clicking of the lock abnormally loud in the sleeping house. She nearly leaped from her skin when her phone buzzed to life in her pocket.

"Hello?" she could barely hear her nervous whisper.

 _"Hey, Skye!"_ Judy never sounded that excited. _"What's going on?"_

Skye sighed in relief.

"Nothing much, just studying."

It was partially true, at least. Judy scoffed.

 _"You and me both. So where were you all summer?"_

Skye hesitated, she'd never bothered to find an excuse for ghosting the group.

"My uncle's," she said at last. "I go almost every summer. He doesn't get good reception up there, and I left pretty early, so I never got a chance to tell you guys."

 _"Oh, okay,"_ the cheerfulness faded. _"Listen, I really have to talk to you, can you come by after school tomorrow?"_

She swallowed.

"Uh, okay, but why can't we just talk now?"

 _"I'd rather talk face to face, and besides,"_ her tone changed again. _"I don't want to keep us from_ studying. _See you tomorrow?"_

"Yeah, Skye shook off the feeling in her gut. "Yeah, sure."

 _"Great, see you then!"_

The call ended. Skye shoved her phone in her pocket and reset the alarm, stopping cold when a lamp clicked on in the living room. Jack stood by the recliner, his expression neutral.

"Hey, Jack," she couldn't swallow her nerves. "What's going on?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," his eyes narrowed, and he strode toward her. "Why have you been sneaking around so much lately?"

She snorted.

"I'm not sneaking," she started defensively. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk."

He crossed his arms.

"I'd believe that if I didn't see you dart out the back door three hours ago," he answered stiffly. "Something's been up with you lately, and you know I'll find out what."

She turned away from him.

"Go ahead and look all you want," she challenged. "You won't find anything."

She swept past him before he could answer, and it took everything she had to not slam her bedroom door.

 _Damn it, Jack,_ she sat heavily on the bed, wincing when she stepped on her tail. She threw herself back and stared at the ceiling, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stickers her father had put up for her fourth birthday. She remembered moving around the room with him and his ladder, telling him exactly where she'd wanted each one. She groaned, pressing her hands over her eyes. _That was the first time I ever fought with him!_

She'd always known the plan to expose Nick would drive a wedge between her and the others, but had never thought it would start happening so quickly, and her next move was sure to shove it home.

 _I'm not doing this because I want to,_ she explained to them in her head. _But if I want to protect you, then I don't have a choice!_

* * *

Judy slumped to the floor, panting with her back against the wall, the only time she'd been happy for karate class to end. Jenny sat next to her, handing her one of the water bottles tucked in the fridge across the dojo. She was Chad's half sister, the oldest daughter of one of their dad's many girlfriends.

"You don't look so good," she said quietly, her voice laced with concern. She ran her claws through the short fringe between her ears, her fur a dark golden tan.

"Yeah," Judy couldn't figure out what was wrong, she could hardly breathe! "Guess I'm just hungrier than I thought, I couldn't have breakfast this morning."

She had woken up to Kara raging through the house, screaming about the gallons of champagne and wine that had been dumped down the drain. She'd had to wait until the jill had gotten in the tub for one of her hour-long perfumed soaks to slip out of the house, with barely enough time to make the fast walk to class. Jenny dug around in her bag and pulled out a couple coyote-sized granola bars.

"Here, Mom gave me extra today."

Judy smiled, her hand shaking a bit as she took one.

"Thanks," she tore the wrapper, thinking again about the afternoon before. Skye had dodged nearly all of her questions, and there had been something off about the few answers she had managed to get.

"You sure everything's okay?" Jenny asked. "You look pretty wiped."

Judy chuckled weakly and took a bite.

"Yeah, she rubbed her eye, more thankful than ever that her foundation was water-resistant. Kara had caught her the first time she'd tried to leave, and it hadn't ended well. "I didn't get much sleep last night, either."

Jenny rolled her eyes.

"Is there anything you _have_ been getting enough of lately?"

Judy shrugged, sitting up when she saw Nick's car pull into the lot. He was on his cell as he climbed out, his sports bag hanging from his shoulder as he closed the door with his knee. She stood when he came in, smirking when he flashed her a smile.

"Isn't your class before mine?" she walked with him to the back of the room. "And where were you this morning?"

He brushed something off his shoulder.

"I had to switch times because of class," he scratched at a small scab on his cheek. "And I got suckered into helping my aunt."

He leaned against the door to the hallway.

"You're still wearing the necklace I gave you," he continued quietly, as though he had trouble believing it. She blushed as she touched the slim chain, surprised the sensei hadn't noticed it.

"I haven't taken it off since my birthday," she told him, her blush deepening. He smiled again.

"I usually get something to eat after class, can you stick around until then?"

"Of course," she stood on her toes and kissed him. "And it might be fun, seeing you get your ass kicked for once."

He laughed.

"Then prepare to be disappointed."

* * *

Heather glared at Skye, once again poring over the files she'd stolen from the police station, everything from the library scattered across her bed. She'd taken everything she could find that mentioned Nick's family, even if it was only arbitrarily connected. She reached for one of the stacks on her desk, scrambling to catch a slightly yellowed newspaper clipping as it fluttered to the floor, screeching when Heather stepped on it.

"What are you doing?"

"You're going crazy," she ground the paper beneath her heel. Skye scowled at her, her fur wild. "You've barely looked at our friends in weeks!"

Hse stumbled back when the fox threw her foot off the clipping, jumping back in her chair and smoothing it frantically on her desk.

"I'm trying to _save_ them, Heather," she said angrily. "They're hanging out with a murderer, but all you're worried about is stopping me from exposing him!"

Heather gaped at her like she'd sprouted a second tail.

"But maybe it's time for a break?" she tried another tactic. "I think they're starting to get suspicious."

Skye went stiff, then cried out in annoyance.

"They should have been suspicious from the start," she said. "A neon sign above his head couldn't be more obvious!"

Heather bit the inside of her cheek, tugging sharply at her headfur.

"You're right there, but do you think it's really safe to learn this much about him, at least all at once?"

Skye stopped fiddling with the paper, looking up curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it," she began. "When the cops find out what's missing from the archives, they'll think his accomplice took it to destroy the evidence, and they'll think they know just where to look when they see everything you've checked out from the library lately. Do you really want to take that chance?"

Skye stared at the piles, then gasped in realization.

"I never thought about it like that," she turned to her laptop and finished typing whatever notes she thought she was taking. She stood and started sorting things, tucking it all neatly into its folders.

"I guess it _is_ time to take a break from all this," she said to herself. "I'll start taking all this stuff back tomorrow, they'll never know it was gone."

Heather sighed silently in relief, at least some part of Skye could still be reasoned with.

"Wait, what's that?"

Skye leaned over her desk and pushed the curtain aside; Heather's stomach dropped when she saw the shadow across the street, sprinting toward the cul-de-sac. They watched until the figure was out of sight, when Skye pulled the pink lace and white canvas closed again.

"What do you think that was about?"

"I don't know," Heather gulped. "But something tells me we don't want to find out."

* * *

"Nick?"

Judy nudged his door open, then flipped the switch, recessed lights in the ceiling showing on dark blue carpet and pale gray walls. The furniture was medium dark wood, his bed unmade, the large desk across from it crowded with paper and cups of pens, pencils and brushes. The dresser and two shelves were filled with trophies, plaques and a statuette of the Bullan god of war. She went to the desk and started rifling through some of the pages, rough outlines of exotic landscapes and fantastical creatures. One taped to the wall caught her eye, inked and finished in metallic paints.

A tall, muscular beast with twisting horns and long, shaggy black fur, standing in a cave by a roaring bonfire. Gold and jewels spilled from the taloned hands, faded scars scattered across the hairless chest and stomach. It stood in a pile of charred and bloody bones and skulls, its thigh covered in the same thick, knotted hair. Long fangs protruded from the lower jaw, the amber-green eyes staring past the pocked and clawed rock walls, at a gray-furred angel in teal and gold lounging on a pearly silver cloud. Reaching down with a slender hand, a tear shining on the smooth cheek.

"What are you doing in here?"

She jumped as Nick walked in, wearing old gray sweats spattered with paint. His fur was cut short, his tail waving lazily behind him. She looked up at him, biting her lip as his cocky smirk curled into a sexy smile. He leaned in to kiss her, both of them jumping as sirens ripped through the silence outside. Judy ran to the window as two firetrucks raced past, the air breaks screeching as they stopped in front of a raging inferno down the street. She cried out, covering her eyes as she whirled away.

"No," she fell against the wall, shaking her head, trembling. "No, not again!"

"What is it?" Nick glanced past the navy curtain, then grabbed the jacket tossed over the foot of his bed.

"I'll go check it out," he pulled it on and zipped it. "I have a feeling that's not a random fire."

She ran after him, stopping dead on her front lawn. The chief, an older sun bear, was shouting into her radio to cut the water, it was making the fire worse. The team responded quickly, pushing back the growing crowd as the house continued to burn, sparks flying and smoke billowing as it finally collapsed on itself. Judy felt Nick's arms at her waist, her chest constricting like a vice as she was forced to live her worst nightmare all over again.

"No," she spun, burying her tear-streaked face in his chest, weakly pounding his arm with her fist. "This can't be happening!"

* * *

Jenny ran a claw along the worn edge of the lid, tracing one of several names carved into the wood: Kyle, Brianna, Michael. The muddy red paint was chipping, the dark metal accents splashed with rust. The gang was sitting in _Isola's_ living room, Nick in a recliner with his arm wrapped firmly around Judy's limp shoulders. Judy had barely said a word since her house had burnt down, when the firefighter who had found the small trunk had set it down in front of her. It had been sitting on a blanket in the backyard, far enough that the fire hadn't touched it, a pink envelope in a plastic sleeve taped to the top.

"So this is the trunk kept hearing about?" Jenny reached to take out the envelope, Judy's name scrawled on the back in a hard, careless hand, the letter inside typed and caps locked.

"I don't care where you are, Judy," she read aloud. "And I'm not going to hold this damn thing for you anymore. But thanks for texting me your new address, at least you made _one_ thing easy."

She glanced at Judy, who hadn't moved beyond pulling her bottom lip between her plaque-ringed teeth.

"I don't know why Jack and I bothered staying friends with you in the first place," she went back to the letter. "All you ever did was make everybody around you go through fucking hell! He lost his brother because of you, and then you had to go and get my cousin killed! _You_ should have been the one who died that day, Andy made a huge mistake when he protected you!"

She covered her mouth and passed it to Chad.

"I thought about burning this stupid trunk, but then I decided to add a few things, so you'd never forget all the mammals you hurt," he cleared his throat, anger plain in his voice. "Have a nice life, you selfish bitch, and I hope every day's as lonely as the families you destroyed. Your ex-friend, Miranda."

He threw the page on the coffee table and sat back. Lance picked it up, looking in confusion at both sides.

"I don't get it," he said. "What's she supposed to be blaming you for?"

"The shooting at our old school," Judy's voice was barely loud enough to hear. "A lot of kids blamed me for it, just like Jack's parents blame me for Raúl."

"I never got how they could," Jack spoke up. "It's not like you could have stopped any of that from happening!"

"Couldn't I?" she glared tearfully at him. "Think, Jack, what happened just before your brother died?"

He stopped, sadness filling his eyes, then he shook his head.

"You got scared and ran off," he told her. "Anyone would have in that situation, and you couldn't have known you'd run into those psychos!"

"But I _did_ run into them, Jack," she argued. "Raúl died because of it, and then two years later, my boyfriend died in my arms!"

She shoved away from Nick and ran off, the rest of them catching up to her at the corral, half-heartedly watching the new emu chicks explore the outside world under the watchful eye of their parents. She sniffled, swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I wish I never woke up from that coma," she muttered. "I wish Kara had just—"

"And you can stop right there," Lance stepped forward. "None of us can pretend to know what you're going through right now, Judy, but we all know thinking like that isn't going to help anything."

"He's right," Chad stopped next to him. "Putting yourself down like that is only going to make things worse."

He walked closer, and held out a hand.

"It doesn't matter what happened then," he went on. "We're here for you now, no matter what."

She sniffled again, the ghost of a smile touching her chapped lips when Nick hugged her. One of the chicks toddled to the fence, whistling as it nosed at her sleeve. She managed to giggle.

"I think I'm finally getting used to that."


	18. Chapter 18

The sun was setting, the forest tinted scarlet and gold. He glanced back at the empty, leaf-strewn path, wind stirring the branches overhead, rustling with birds. The gun strapped to his thigh felt heavier than usual, the metal of the grip cool when his fingers brushed against it.

"You really don't trust anyone, do you?"

He stopped when a short water deer stepped out from behind a thick tree, her short fur casting a greasy sheen across her thin, smug face.

"Why should I," he asked hotly. "When everyone I know is trying to kill me?"

She laughed, her dark, dead eyes boring into him as her expression morphed to one of disgust.

"You're a mistake," she said. "And your pathetic meddling is going to stop."

Silver streaked from her hoofed fingers, a knife with an ornate handle sinking into the trunk at his back. The sun winked behind a scarlet cloud, and she slipped out of sight.

"You won't be a problem much longer."

He rolled his eyes, putting a hand to the burning at his neck, his fingers speckled with blood.

 _Guess someone's off her meds._

He swiped his hands on his jacket and kept walking, the sun dipping past the trees when he reached that old cabin.

"Looks like you got in some trouble," Anya stopped pacing. "I've got a kit in case things get messy, let's get you fixed up."

He chuckled, pulling off his jacket as he followed her inside. He sat on the stool, gagging at the clinical stink of rubbing alcohol, breathing sharply though his teeth when she pressed the damp cotton pad to his neck. He held it there while she went back to the kit for a packet of butterfly bandages.

"It's shallow, but cuts on the face and neck tend to bleed a lot, hope this shirt wasn't new."

She finished patching him up, then put the kit away, turning to the covered tray waiting by the wall. She tossed the cloth on the floor and picked up the first syringe. The liquid inside was white as milk, and there was a faintly bitter smell as she pushed lightly on the plunger.

"You'll have a headache for a couple days," she reminded him. "But that should be it with this one."

He went stiff when she walked behind him, feeling the needle pierce the skin at the base of his skull. The small pressure there began to spread, his eyes starting to burn as it pulsed into a throb.

 _What's going on,_ he touched his forehead, his hand trembling. The second needle clattered to the tray.

"Something's wrong," she started fearfully. "They said you'd be—!"

"He _would_ be fine, honey, a voice spoke around them. "If it weren't for the special poison we put on that knife."

The voice laughed, and he fell back against the wall. His muscles were locking, his heart hammering, but his vision and mind were unaffected. Anya was glaring around the room, the tears that welled in her eyes glistening in the lights overhead.

"Where are you," she demanded. "What did you do to him?"

The voice laughed again.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that, except that I'm just following orders."

She growled, her claws cutting into her palms as her fists clenched at her sides.

"Whose orders?"

Another laugh.

"Sorry, but that's on a need-to-know basis. Besides, you and I both know he would have died, anyway."

* * *

"You have got to be kidding," Heather stared at the stacks on Skye's desk. "I thought you were done with all this!"

Skye flipped through the papers in her hands, some stained with coffee rings, others yellowed with age.

"I was just taking a break," she said absently. "It's different this time."

Heather groaned, dropping in the purple beanbag chair by the desk.

"And how's that?"

Skye flashed a sharp smile, turned to her laptop and pulled up a video.

"Because now, I've got all the proof I need."

It was a clearing in the woods just after sunset. A tall fox stood with his back to the camera, his sleeve streaked with blood from a cut on his upper arm. His fists were clenched, his voice tight with rage.

 _"You really thought I'd go easy on you, after everything you've put me through?!"_

There was a faint rustle as the view shifted, focusing on a smaller tod, his glare defiant behind thick glasses.

 _"You wouldn't_ be _anything without me,"_ he answered coldly. _"Now let me go, or you'll never know where they are!"_

He easily dodged when his opponent ran at him, dying sunlight glinting off the edge of the wicked blade that appeared in his hand. He laughed, jumping to wrap his arm around the taller male's throat, holding the knife against the artery pulsing under his short fut.

 _"Once they find out what happened with you tonight, they'll know I was right all along!"_

His captive growled, throwing him over his shoulder, a sickening crack snapping through the air as he crashed into a large tree. He fell limply to the ground, Heather choking when the other Tod turned to stare over Skye's camera.

"It's _true_?"

Skye closed the video, her face solemn.

"I kept trying to tell you."

Heather waved her hands in front of her.

"Wait a second," she puttered. "How the hell did you even _get_ that?"

"Easy," Skye replied haughtily. "I followed him."

She crossed her arms, still looking smug.

"I'm pretty good at hiding when I want to be."

Heather shook her head, staring at the laptop as Skye closed the video, the background a collage of photos from when the gang were kids. Chad had an arm around her shoulders and one around Skye's, all three of them wearing goofy smiles and covered in chocolate whipped cream. Lance and Stephanie were laughing, blasting each other with super soakers. Lena and Ty were sitting at a craft table with a younger girl and four boys she didn't recognize. Jason was sandwiched between Dante and Chelsea on a picnic blanket, his bright, crooked smile splattered with strawberry ice cream, his favorite. But the smile was forced, and there was fear in his eyes as he stared off to the side, as though keeping watch of a danger no one else could see.

 _He looks terrified,_ she mused silently. But what could scare him?

"Heather?"

She blinked, turning to Skye, the vixen watching her with a confused expression.

"Sorry, got lost in my head."

"Over what?"

"Nothing," she glanced out the window, swallowing hard as the sun set over the street. "It's not important."

* * *

Nick could still hear the fear in Dante's voice. He'd woken up to his cell vibrating on his nightstand, his cousin's voice strained as he'd said something big had gone down at _Isola._ Even in his worst nightmares, he couldn't have imagined what he saw.

Windows had been shattered, curtains slashed to pieces, paintings and mirrors ripped off the walls. The jewelry was untouched, the china and silver locked up, the gun cabinets intact.

"I don't get it," he stared at the debris in the foyer. Some floor tiles had cracked under the weight of gilded frames. Judy pressed closer to his side to avoid the remains of a large vase by the stairs. "Who would do this?"

"Ario is a powerful mammal," _nonna_ led them to his grandfather's office. She didn't seem to notice the destruction, she hadn't even called the police. "And just like your father, Nicolas, there were a lot of mammals who hated him."

He swallowed hard, touching the bullet scars on his chest.

"But that still doesn't explain all this," he tripped on a broken frame, the portrait cut beyond recognition. "Who could hate him this much?"

"I never asked about his business affairs," she answered. "I felt it wasn't my place."

The heavy oak door was unscathed, aside from scratches surrounding the tarnished brass knob.

"He locked himself in when he came home last night," she took a key from her pocket. "I can't remember the last time I saw this room."

Dante helped her pull the door open, and she screamed.

"Ario!"

He was lying on the floor in front of his desk, his face locked in a silent scream. The heads of their emus had been arranged so every dark, glassy eye stared blindly down at him. Blood had streamed from a wound between his shoulders, the cream rug clotting crimson beneath him. She screamed again, and Dante caught her as she fainted.

"Hey," Judy's voice was quiet, shaking like her hand as she pointed. "What's that?"

A scrap of paper was on the floor in front of _nonno's_ body, an hourglass and upside-down cross scrawled in red. Nick's stomach roiled, Judy's and Dante's calls echoing in his ears as he sprinted downstairs, the backdoor slamming against the wall as he dropped to his knees, vomiting into a bin of leaves and twigs. His mind was reeling. Why had this happened? What the hell had his grandfather gotten them into?

He stayed on his knees, pressing his forehead to the rim of the bin, hardly looking up when Judy came out.

"I can't believe this happened," she wrung her hands. "He seemed like a nice guy."

He scoffed, swiping his mouth on the back of his sleeve as he got to his feet.

"Only if you were on his side."

He leaned against a pillar, staring at the sky, pale blue and clear. She stopped next to him and wove her arm through his.

"I'm so sorry, Nick," she said quietly. "I know how much he meant to you."

He chuckled weakly, and a tear dripped down his cheek.

"The truth is I never really knew him," he explained. "Even when I was a kid, he always seemed to care more about the business than us."

Most of the memories he had of the tod involved being brushed off while he talked on the phone or met with mammals, being told they'd spend time together later. Even the smallest of those activities had felt rushed, like he had just wanted to finish them so he could get back to work.

"Still, it can't be easy," Judy's voice cut through his thoughts. "Losing mammals we care about never is."

He brushed his fingers over hers, his tail flopping gracelessly around her feet.

"I found out about Chad's little 'plan' to get us together," he said, smiling faintly. "Guess it worked."

She laid her head in his arm.

"He's the one who really started telling me what happened to you," she sighed. "He said it was amazing you weren't insane."

He fingered the slim chain around his neck.

"Maybe I am," his shoulders slumped. "I thought we were safe."

"Huh?" she looked up at him. "Safe from what?"

He went stiff, then pulled away from her.

"I'm sorry, Judy," he said. "But I need to be alone for a while."

He felt her eyes on his back as he fled through the garden, tripping when he got to the barn where the emus had stayed. He barely felt the straw and pebbles digging into his pads as he stared at their bodies, scattered with blood trailing from their long severed necks. His fists tightened, angry, bitter tears spilling from his eyes, how much longer would he be trapped in the hell his family had made for themselves? How many of their mistakes would he have to pay for?

 _They've gone too far this time,_ he grit his teeth. He could play this bloody game just as well as they could. _They're finished!_

* * *

"Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse."

Jack crossed his arms, glaring at Skye. She was sitting on her bedroom floor, surrounded by lilting piles of papers and photos. She huffed.

"How can you all not see this?" she demanded. "It's so obvious!"

He grit his teeth.

"What's obvious is you're not the girl I thought you were," he grabbed her wrist. "Why are you doing this?"

"Judy's been through enough already," she pushed at his hand. "I'm just trying to protect her, all of you!"

"You think that gives you the right to spread lies about Nick?"

She twisted out of his grip.

"How haven't you noticed," she swept a page toward him, an article about the disappearances of several international business mammals. "All these mammals worked with his family at some point, Jack, and now they're all either missing or dead! Think about it!"

She jumped to her feet.

"Haven't you ever wondered why he's always running off, or why he—"

"Save it, Skye," he slashed at the air with his arm. "His grandfather was just murdered, and you're sitting here trying to get him arrested!"

He swept up the article, crushing it in his fist.

"How long have you been doing this," he demanded. "Who else is involved?"

She glowered at him, then crossed her arms.

"I don't have to explain anything to you," she turned her back to him, her voice filled with pride. "You just can't accept that I'm right. Who knows how long he's been hiding all this from us?"

He stared at her, then threw the page down.

"You've gone insane," he shoved his hands through his headfur. "Just because they haven't found those guys yet doesn't mean Nick's been killing them. What could he have to gain from it, anyway?"

She went to search through one of the stacks on her desk.

"He's paid to do it, his boss is some kind of loan shark."

She pulled out a mug shot and handed it to him. The middle-aged red panda had thinning fur between his ears, with dark, piercing eyes. Jack blinked.

"Wait a second," he looked closer at it. "I think I've seen this guy before."

* * *

Judy had been awake for two days straight, everything that had happened the last few weeks flying through her head in an endless loop. Kara had disappeared shortly after coming home. Skye was going crazy. Rumors were spreading faster than ever about the murders. Girls had started whispering angrily to her at school, saying they'd love it if she were next.

"You're a freak," a senior she'd never met had snapped the week before. "No one would miss you."

"I can't wait for that Blackwood guy to get you," her lab partner had hissed over their experiment that morning. "Then maybe Nick would find a girl that deserves him."

 _Nick doesn't even go here anymore,_ she told herself. _But they're still screaming at me about it. Why am I always treated like this?_

She thought she'd finally left that fake reputation behind, but her dream of fading into the background had cut itself down when she'd met Nick, when she'd sworn to learn the painful secrets locked in his heart.

 _I want to help him,_ she pressed her forehead to the cool metal door of her locker. _But how can I when I can't even help myself?_

"Judy?"

Jack shut his, two down from hers, staring at her worriedly.

"You were zoning out again," he drummed his fingers on his physics book. "What's going on?"

She shut her locker and walked with him.

"It's just," she swallowed hard, her voice tight. "Mammals are starting to say I should be the next victim, just because I'm with Nick."

He snorted.

"That's sick, but you should just ignore them. They're jealous."

"Jenny said that, too," she blew out a breath. "But the worst part is I'm starting to believe Tham."

She was caught off-guard when he grabbed her shoulder, pinning her roughly against the wall.

"Don't you _ever_ think like that," he snapped quietly. " _They're_ the problem here, not you."

She met his glare.

"They're not the first ones who've told me that," she said flatly. "You know that."

"You never cared what anyone thought before," he let her go and stepped back. "What makes now so different?"

She held her algebra book to her chest, staring at the floor.

"If something's hammered into you," she said lowly. "You start believing it, whether you want to or not."

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"How long have you felt like this?"

She gave a weak shrug.

"I don't even know anymore," her shoulders slumped lower. "I stopped keeping track."

"And I guess you're not going to tell Nick about any of this?"

She shook her head.

"He has enough to deal with already, I'm not going to pile on more."

"But keeping it to yourself won't do any good, either," he thought a moment, then flashed a small smile. "You guys should go out soon, get your minds off everything for a while."

"I don't know," she fumbled with her book. "You know how he gets."

"Just tell him you think it'll help both of you, it can't hurt."

She brushed a limp ear over her shoulder.

"I guess you're right," she turned away from him. "But I have to go, see you later."

* * *

An hourglass with an upside-down cross. Nick had seen the symbol before, playing in his grandfather's office as a kid. Of course, the tod had dodged any attempt to get information about it.

It was a dreary day, the sun lost behind thick gray clouds, a light fog hanging in the street. Nick leaned back against the living room window, a black licorice rope clenched between his teeth.

 _What the hell is going on here?_

He thought back to his sixth birthday, when he'd accidentally eavesdropped on one of _nonno's_ meetings while playing hide-and-seek with his cousins. The fern in its dusty blue pot had been just big enough for him to crouch behind.

 _He could hear Dante calling in the hallway, giggling as_ nonno _shooed him away from the door. He came in with a pretty lynx lady, like in his aunts old detective movies._

 _"You're being very reckless,"_ _he sat at his desk. Nick ducked further into the corner. "Do any of them know you're here?"_

 _The cat scoffed._

 _"Those idiots? Please," her voice was delicate, with a steely undertone. "They couldn't guard a newborn."_

 _He smoothed a hand over his graying headfur, chuckling._

 _"I can't argue with you."_

 _She watched him carefully, her dark eyes empty, her fingers tightening on the purse in her lap. Her long red claws looked sharp._

 _"I assume you haven't forgotten our deal," she opened her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper with a big red stamp. "It needs to be done tonight."_

Nonno _nodded, his back stiff as he took it for her._

 _"I remember," he flashed a tight smile. "I'll have it done as soon as I can."_

 _"Perfect," she stood, leaning over the desk. "Then I'll see you tonight."_

 _He nodded again, and she slinked from the room. He sat back when she was gone and let out a long breath, holding a hand over his heart._

 _"Thank God Evelyn isn't home."_

Nick had lost track of how long he'd listened to _nonno_ talking to himself, snd to this day was trying to make sense of what he'd seen. Who had that lynx been, and what connection did she have to his family?

 _I have to get to the bottom of this,_ he pulled the last of the licorice into his mouth and brought out his phone. _And it looks like there's only one way to do that._


End file.
